


Luminescence

by pen102



Series: ANBU - Turbluences [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: A lot of Shiny Things, Action/Adventure, Anbu Hatake Kakashi, Anbu Shiranui Genma, Arena fights, BAMF Hatake Kakashi, BAMF Shiranui Genma, Canon-Typical Violence, Crazy Plot, Fun with Tags, Greedy OCs, M/M, Minerals, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Organized Crime, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Prostitution, Protective Hatake Kakashi, Puppet Jutsu, Rape/Non-con Elements, Shiranui Clan Secrets, Turned out darker than intended because of that, Undercover Missions, mafia, ninja weapons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-06
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2020-10-11 06:57:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 25
Words: 106,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20541983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pen102/pseuds/pen102
Summary: It was supposed to be a normal mission. Okay, something of a seduction mission, but still. Kakashi and the others as additional protection, just because their client was the Daimyo himself. Something about a secret but expensive wristwatch. Nothing too serious, really, not even too much sex appeal, just enough to charm the target into opening some doors, possibly safes. But there is this nagging bad feeling about the mission and the place, that Kakashi can’t shake off. And then there’s Genma in the middle of it all… Charming, and too damn sexy for his own good.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I had these crazy ideas in my head for quite some time now... Let's see if I can put them into words.  
This story has nothing to do with the former of the series. It's a different universe.  
Unintentinal changes of tense... Grammar, spelling and me... never been friends. I am not a native speaker, just a fan of Naruto. So please be patient with me. But if I wrote something embarassing, please tell me so I can correct it.

Kakashi could hear the unpleasant crackling in his ear announcing the next update.

"I have a visual,” Aoba's voice confirmed his thoughts. "Approaching target, slowly. It's pretty crowded down there. Definitely hot, too. And not only because of the summer… Nice."

Kakashi tried to see something from his angle, but he couldn’t make out Genma in the crowd.

"Confirm visual contact," Iwashi commented from his hidden position opposite Kakashi’s spot in the shadows of one of the seemingly endless number of niches of the gallery above the main room. Aoba just sipped at his glass, leaning casually at the balcony and observed the crowd in the open - without his trademark sunglasses.

"Takes a glass from the waiter. Remaining distance to target about 10 meters," Iwashi continued his report.

Finally Kakashi was able to see their teammate too. In civilian but extremely flattering clothes, his golden brown hair tied into a high ponytail, loose bangs accentuating the sharp jawline and armed with only one of the deadliest weapons of the Konoha special jounin - his smile. Kakashi was not too worried, at least, that’s what he tried to tell himself – the average ninja could find at least 10 ways to kill someone in any room in no time. However, Kakashi already had a queasy feeling about the mission since the beginning. And besides, he didn’t like these kinds of missions. He understood their use, he'd done one or two of them himself and it if the one doing it was good, it was usually an easy way to get the job done. Still he didn't like them. Especially, when Genma did them. This hasn’t changed since their ANBU-days. Maybe because the special jounin simply was too good at them. Kakashi couldn't understand how someone was able to look so good without much of an effort. Tie his hair back into a ponytail, give him some tight-fitting clothes and Genma easily was the most handsome man in the room - at least to Kakashi's eyes. The Tokujou's charms worked well enough when he intended to use his training. And he was doing a lot of missions like that. Too many to not make it into some Bingo Books. Still, sending three shinobi to escort Genma seemed a bit over the top by the Hokage, but their client was the firecounty's Daimyo himself, wishing to collect everything about the newest and seemingly super special watch invented and designed by their target. Kakashi had a feeling, the old and bored Daimyo just wanted to send someone on a harmless seduction mission to amuse himself. It hadn’t been the first time, he requested Genma personally.

Kakashi gritted his teeth and focused his breathing to concentrate on the important things again: monitoring the mission. But damn, that involved watching Genma's every move closely...

The Tokujou's steps were self-confident, almost casually but nonetheless drawing attention to himself as he moved through the dancing crowd in Jinjuku - the hippest amusement hot spot in the area - a young, handsome man looking for a flirt for the evening. Nothing unusual, one among many, but for someone whose sex-appeal seems to part the crowd like a gentle breeze in front of him... Well… A smile here, a meaningful gaze there ... Almost as if he could read about secret wishes and desires by simply looking at someone... Rumors said, he could.

Kakashi inwardly tensed. Genma attracted more attention than necessary. As if on cue he could see an elderly but very self-confident lady in an expensive and classy dress approach the young man and stop him very clearly and with a very well-manicured, very sharp and very pointy finger on Genma's very nice chest. But with some obviously cleverly whispered words and without loosing too much time, the special jounin managed to put her off. Her eyes followed his passing figure, filled with regret and mischief and Kakashi nodded in empathy.

Aoba's giggle chimed through the headset. It was almost a surprise that no further comment followed.

It didn't take much longer for Genma to reach their target, and Kakashi narrowed his eye in concentration. Apparently their teammate found some absurd reason to ask for the empty spot next to the man - who laughed out loudly after Genma's whispered request and padded the empty space on the couch invitingly. The man threw his head back to get a better look, and Kakashi could even see from the distance that his eyes were glimmering with curiousity as the Tokujou smoothly sat down - almost onto the other's lap. Hm. So Genma chose the more direct approach?

"Contact at 22:23," Iwashi reported dutifully in a neutral voice.

"Let's sit back and enjoy the show," Aoba whispered, not even trying to hide his excitement, "who knows how long this will take. Though I can only see Genma's back..., have full visual on target..."

"Divide observations, alphabetical rotation: Aoba watches Genma and the target, Iwashi and I keep an eye on the crowd." Kakashi didn't miss the moment to enjoy Aoba's annoyed hissing through the headset. But only for a short moment. “I have a bad feeling,” he added calmly.

“Relax, taichou, Genma’s a professional.”

“Way more professional than you-“

"Focus," Kakashi ordered sharply. Yes, they were all professionals. At least most of the time. This was considered an B-rank-mission, possibly A-rank - Aoba sometimes tended to get a little lax on B-ranks. Though his reprimand wasn't entirely necessary, he knew such sharp and short instructions in tense situations could help calm the nerves.

There was no direct threat expected. The mission was divided into several parts: 1. Locate the target Miyota Nare. 2. Get in contact with the target and gain his trust to gather information about the newest Miyota-watch and 3. – if possible – get hands on one of these special designed watches. So far so good. Kakashi knew that Genma was exactly Miyota's type. The Daimyo must have suspected that too. Miyota was as predictable as a clockwork and the Tokouju had already managed to charm his way into the other's personal space.

The copy-ninja glanced at the two and noticed the spontaneous familiarity between Genma and the target, which occurred, when two people immediately liked each other and found a lot to talk about. Genma could have a silver tongue if he wanted to. They seemed to fit well… He could see how the seduction expert put a strand of hair behind his ear and how Miyota's transfixed gaze lingered on the long, slender fingers for a moment too long… The bad feeling grew. There was something wrong. Definitely. Kakashi was way too experienced to mistrust his instincts. Was the mission going too smooth? Was Genma winning the target's trust too easily…? Miyota's intention became clearer from second to second. When the Tokouju looked away for a moment to speak with one of the target's bodyguards, a predatory expression flickered over his face. 

The target took the bait.

Miyota didn’t look bad, on the contrary, he had a fit physique for a civilian, even the small belly flattered him a little, and the even, aristocratic facial features and the slick black hair completed the image of the heir of the Miyota-Clock-Empire. Obviously he was used to people being interested in him - he hadn't even hesitated for a moment when Genma had approached him. The five bodyguards surrounding them emphasized the feeling of habitual power.

From that distance, Kakashi couldn’t feel Genma's well hidden chakra.

So far, so good. The copy-nin returned to watching the dancing, talking and drinking people in the room when Iwashi's voice suddenly ringed through his headset: "Movement Bodyguard 4". That was the big, beefy bald with the earring behind the couch Genma and the target were sitting on.

"Fatso seems to get nervous," Aoba confirmed from his position up at the gallery. "Speaks into his headset, hand on his weapon. Sees something at the exit or somewhere that direction. Yes, something is happening outside the building - at the entrance."

"The other bodyguards surround Genma and Miyota, shielding them. Genma's cover still seems intact, more of a possible threat outside, " Iwashi reported, voice tense.

Kakashi rose from his hidden position at the top of the gallery, just beyond the window slot, and crawled toward the next exit. "I'll take a look. Hold positions."

"Understood," the two answered in unison.

Kakashi crawled the few meters to the wall of the building, opened the ventilation grille to peek outside. There was movement in the dark, right at the entrance... the exit, too. He skillfully and silently let himself down the four meters into the undergrowth.

Suddenly voices arose and guests screamed loudly and full of panic.

"Shinobi are storming the building", Iwashi's voice sounded breathless through the headset. "Three at the entrance, more at the windows."

Kakashi cursed under his breath for just having left the building.

With a courageous jump he was back at the ventilation shaft, but his instinct warned him not to touch the grid. Suddenly, chakra was all around him and all he could do was drop from the wall and let himself fall down. The whole building started vibrating with a foreign and hostile chakra. He grabbed a small stone and threw it against the barrier. It exploded in a dramatic little fire.

"I can't go inside at the moment, the building has been sealed off with a chakra barrier", he told the others.

Aoba cursed under his breath.

"Report!" Kakashi demanded. He let himself drop into the shadow of the bushes again and focused to sense the creator of the barrier. The wind refreshes and drives the thick clouds over the sky and the full moon. The rustling of the bushes was the only noise outside the building...

It took a few moments before Aoba spoke again. "Iwashi is changing his position, his cover is at risk. Maybe it’s a robbery. One leader, the others are splitting up, all armed like shinobi. Leader instructs all guests to lie down onto the floor - arms over their heads. Looks professional."

Kakashi's heartbeat accelerated. A robbery of the rich present would make sense, but ... he couldn’t quite believe that shinobi with such perfidious abilities to create a chakra barrier would go for a simple robbery... in a dance club.

Although, nothing was impossible. Carefully, Kakashi moved through the undergrowth, eyes scanning his surroundings.

"Position changed," Iwashi suddenly whispered. "Can see Genma. Target's sitting quietly next to him on the sofa. Two bodyguards crouching are the only ones more or less standing in the room, the other two have taken cover in the immediate vicinity, armed and ready."

"This might get ugly," Aoba murmured, sounding like he had taken cover somewhere at the gallery himself. Probably somewhere he wouldn’t be found by shinobi immediately. "They are obviously looking for something.  
They... are checking the hostages’ faces... "

So they were looking for someone, not something, it dawned Kakashi. Who…?

"Leader's stopped! Must have located whatever they are looing for, " Iwashi whispered insistently.

"Who is he looking at?" Kakashi asked.

Tense silence.

"I ... I think it’s Miyota."

"Damn!" Aoba hissed and Kakashi silently agreed. Of all the places that would lead the shinobi directly to their undercover agent. "Yes, he’s approaching Miyota now. Repeat: nearing Miyota and Genma. Slowly. Unerringly. 10 meters left."

Kakashi's hand clenched into a fist. He took another look at the sealed air shafts and windows. "Still found no way inside."

As he hurried along the building, he continued to listen to the brief, urgent reports of his teammates.

"Leader approaches Miyota. Target looks nervous, Fatso looks about to collapse."

"Genma seems to have something hidden in his hand - maybe a weapon. He sits with his back to the action. Repeat: Genma has no eye-contact with the leader – never had. No mirrors, no glasses nearby."

"Leader remains standing right behind Genma, is talking over his shoulder with Miyota, Fatso is waving his knife nervously, but is ignored. Miyota keeps his dogs on the leash."

"All guests still on the ground, can feel their fear even here. Someone might do something drastic."

"Baby Fatso looks sad, but pulls himself together. Miyota and the unknown shinobi talk to each other. Genma is completely still but looks tense. "

"Miyota suddenly looks surprised. Genma seems...more tense. "

Aoba's sudden strangled gasp almost frightened Kakashi. "The guy hunkered down, head practically on Genma's shoulder. Says something. I think he's talking to Genma now."

"Genma looks extremely pale. Danger! I think Genma’s cover is blown."

"Shit!" Aoba exclaimed, straining his neck to see more from his hideout, weapon drawn, awaiting orders.

Kakashi paused. "What's going on?"

"A commotion. Genma broke the wine glass and gave the guy a nice scratch on the face-"

"Genma is trying to escape!" Iwashi's voice sounded like he's changing positions as well. "I'm trying to hel…"

Loud screaming is heard just as Kakashi reached the back door of the building. "Engage!" Kakashi shouted.

He could hear battle noises and more screaming.

"Smoke grenade!", Aoba yelled a warning.

"It’s mine!" came Iwashi's breathless answer.

"Do you have visual on Genma?" Aoba sounded almost in panick. Kakashi threw every caution overboard and pulled an explosive jutsu out of his pouch to force his way through the barrier. The explosion made his hears ring and everything was immediately covered in smoke.

"Genma slips through the room and the hostages pretty fast, gets involved into a fight, dodges and keeps running towards the back exit!"

“It's sealed! I am trying to open the back exit!”, Kakashi shouted.

"Genma’s fine so far…Nice somersault!", commented Aoba. His subsequent grunt proclaimed to Kakashi that Aoba was also involved in a fight.

The smoke in front of Kakashi cleared away. The chakra barrier was visibly dented. So violence _would_ work. "Chidori!"

"What the hell ...!", Aoba gasped. "The leader ... The leader!"

Kakashi held up his flashing arm and ran towards the barrier.

"The leader suddenly turned up in front of Genma. He has a hostage. A woman. Presses a kunai on her neck. Genma stopped. That's mean: they know his soft spot!"

"Can’t help!", Iwashi calls over the headset, "’m in a figh-!" A dull thump interrupts him and Kakashi allowed himself a flash of sympathy for his friend as his chidori cut through the barrier like a knife through butter. Splintering, a small part of the barrier collapsed in front of him and Kakashi immediately jumped through and ran to the building’s backdoor. Before him, a long corridor opened up. "Damn." He started running faster.

"I think they are talking, negotiating. I think… "

"The guy put a hand on Genma's shoulder and gives the hostage free. Earth jutsu! They are sinking through the ground... they are gone! " Now Aobas voice lost its collected calmness. "Gone!"

Kakashi reached the main hall with such speed that he skidded into the room. It was huge and overcrowded with people who were fearfully curled up on the ground. He was just in time to see five shinobi vanishing from the gallery and out of the windows. "Aoba, pursuit!"

Aoba neatly landed next to him, trademark sunglasses back in place, formed a few hand signs and a flock of birds filled the room and set out on the persecution on Aoba's hand signal. Both shinobi jumped up to the gallery, joined immediately by Iwashi, and Kakashi took one last look back at Miyota Nare. Wide eyes met his for a moment. All covers blown: mission failed. Who would have guessed…

With that the three Konoha-shinobi followed the enemy ninja out of the building. To find an empty square... no enemy in sight.

Aoba traced his familiar spirits with a gesture and shook his head. "They all vanished into the ground."

“Iwagakure?”, Iwashi gasped.

Kakashi didn’t hesitate. "Kyuchiose no Jutsu!" A small dog appeared in front of them. The pug raised his paw in greeting. "Yo."

"Pakkun! Genma!" The dog didn’t require further instruction and immediately took off to search for the familiar smell of the tokubetsu-jounin. The urgency in Kakashi's voice also prohibited any delay. Instantly Pakkun ran off in a certain direction and the others followed.

"If we are lucky they can use the earth jutsu only for a small distance," Aoba gasped. The fight and the haste had left him slightly out of breath.

Suddenly a bright, orange light flashed up, shining through the night. "What the ...", Aoba almost stumbled. Pakkun led them that direction.

Kakashi's heart pounded in his head. He knew this light and knew all too well what it meant. 'Damn you, Genma...' His visible eye narrowed. He followed his loyal dog down the next street. When they reached a crossroad, he suddenly saw six shinobi at the other end of the street, Genma, arms wound tightly behind his back, in their midst. The Tokujou took notice of Kakashi and the others at the same moment, eyes dull and tired, but he looked directly into the face of a tall, orange-haired man who'd just executed a jutsu. Genma collapsed immediately - possibly unconscious.

"Shit!" Iwashi shouted.

The man with the light hair now looked into their direction. Only now did Kakashi realize that the foreign shinobi were standing in the midst of a jutsu circle.

"Damn!" He gathered his chakra and, within a heartbeat, he was in the air next to the enemies, ninjato in hand and ready to down two of them simultaneously. But at the same time, four enemies fell to their knees and activated the seal under their feet with their hands firmly pressed to the cobblestones.

Kakashi's sword glided uselessly through thin air.

Shaken, he came to a halt and looked back at the now empty spot.

Iwashi, Pakkun and Aoba also reached his side. Nobody spoke.

Pakkun closed his brown eyes, Aoba connected his conciseness with his crows again and Kakashi used his senses to search for any signs of chakra.

Iwashi barely dared to breathe while waiting.

Finally, all three seekers came to the same conclusion.

"They are gone."


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place about two years before the prologue...

Tenzous silhouette vaguely stood out against the dark blue of the late night sky.  
Kakashi gestured to him to take cover with a quick flick of his gloved hand and due to years of having worked together, Tenzou easily noticed the movement and pressed himself flat against the roof of the opposing house. In silence, they waited in their respective cover high above the street. Their gray ANBU uniforms barely stood out from the dull gray tones of the port city, the faint mist and the everlasting drizzle did the rest to hide the two Konoha shinobi from unwanted eyes.

For a while now Kakashi's fine ears had been able to hear the approaching hoof beats on the wet cobblestones. A group of riders just turned into their street. About six samurai with horned helmets, modeled after the distorted grimaces of demons, all in heavy armor, swords or slender halberds ready at their sides. At the group's end rode a figure wrapped tightly in a black robe, that immediately attracted the copy-nin's attention.

A cold shiver ran down his spine. Something was definitely odd about this person. The... _proportions_ didn't seem right... All of a sudden, Kakashi was feeling extremely uncomfortable and cold. The two ANBU had been hiding their chakra for hours now, he was sure they couldn't be detected by it, but he could also not stretch his senses to learn more about that rider - his instincts warned him they would be discovered immediately if he tried to reach out... Intel hadn't warned them about a non-civilian threat for this evening...

The dark rider's horse snorted and started to dance nervously. Black gloved hands pulled the reins a little tighter and the animal stopped. Right under Kakashi's and Tenzo's position.

Kakashi exchanged a quick glance with the other ANBU and saw his kohai's hands were shaking... That was new. There wasn't much that could irritate the young jonin.

The samurai were already further ahead the street and parried their horses as they noticed that the black clad figure had stopped. One of them said something, a question or a name.

Kakashi's heart was pounding loudly in his ears. He rarely got nervous from someone's presence alone. But from his position meters above the hooded person he could clearly smell the strong and slightly sweet smell of mold and decay.

He unconsciously stopped his breathing.

The creature tilted its head and seemed to listen for something.  


Several of the horses now danced nervously on the cobblestones - their hooves rattling unnaturally loud through the nocturnal silence of the city. One of the horses rose and shied, but the samurai in his saddle tugged at the reins and drove the animal back to the ground.  


The _being_ \- because person was not something Kakashi thought was accurate to describe the ... _thing_ anymore - drove its horse without warning and the group started moving again.

A raindrop stole itself into Kakashi's eye as he briefly exchanged a few hand signs to communicate with Tenzou. It told the other, that they would maintain their positions. If they could not face this creature directly, the owner of the villa they could - afterwards.  


Kakashi pulled his small telescope out of the pouch on his belt. It was black and especially designed to not reflect any light so its use could not give away his position. He didn't want to use chakra for the time being. Not while that thing was nearby.

The lights flickered on one of the upper floors. Then in one of the neighboring rooms.  


Kakashi cursed inwardly and got up. Cleverly and swiftly he balanced himself over the roof of the house where he had kept himself hidden to change position. He maintained the distance to the villa, but had to look for a better vantage point. With skill only obtained by years of hard training, he jumped with his feet ahead over a small wall, through the air and to the next roof. His hands gripped the edge of the wall two meters away, and almost soundlessly and with pure muscular strength, Kakashi hauled himself up, raced over ridged roofs, climbed hand over hand along the ornate red ceramic shingles of a temple building, and finally swung himself into the dense foliage of a maple tree. The whole thing went relatively quiet and fast. Gai would've been proud of him. Or immediately challenged him for a more complex parkour. Kakashi focused again and pulled out his small telescope. And he wasn’t disappointed: he could see the bureau through the open curtains from here.

Gosaburo Tenji, the landlord of the expensive villa here in the port city of Akita, was leaning over a document on his desk, signing something, and finally handing it over to one of the two samurai who had entered the room with him. The dark figure stayed in the background and relatively far from the window.  
Without amplifying his hearing with a jutsu, Kakashi could hear nothing. But he could read Gosaburo's words from his lips, because as arranged, Konoha's intern at the Gosaburo household had left all the curtains of the city villa open.

“...all the conditions are met," the stout merchant said and opened a drawer of his desk. "The ware arrives within an hour - they were slowed down by the storm."

The samurai answered something, but his mouth was hidden within the demon mask.

Gosaburo nodded. He looked tense but composed, the presence of the thing had to be as uncomfortable for him as it had been for Kakashi and Tenzou. Although Gosaburo's bodyguards were scattered throughout the house and always n alert, as Tenzo's observations of the last few days had shown, even these shinobi were probably no match for the thing. …Whatever it was. Gosaburo's fear was understandable. 

"Pier 4. They will not be searched and the ware just has to be transported to the ship."

The creature spoke, and Gosaburo, though a proud businessman, visibly started to sweat. He dabbed his greasy forehead with a tissue and nodded in response, probably unable to bring out words right away, his slight double chin bobbed nervously. 

"O-of course ... The transport is complete. E-everything there. As desired." He stuttered a little.

The creature turned and the samurai followed it out of the room.

Gosaburo slumped into his chair behind the desk and stared at the ceiling. It was obvious to Kakashi that the merchant regretted doing business with someone like that. Oh, the downside risk's of deceptive buisness practice.

The copy-nin waited until the samurai rode away before returning to Tenzou. They exchanged their observations with brief finger gestures well known by ANBU, and Kakashi told his kohai to proceed with next part of their mission: break into Gosaburo's villa, crack the safe and copy the new documents hidden there ... Again.

So Tenzou went back to watching his back while Kakashi slid off the roof and silently headed for the villa. With Tenzou as his back-up, there shouldn't go much wrong. Also, some seeds Tenzou left at the street earlier were embedded under the hooves of the horses and would warn them about the samurais whereabouts.

The light in the study had gone out in the meantime.

Kakashi took the already well known path through the window (kindly left open by their contact person), opened the safe again with the same combination of numbers as the night before (his fine hearing checking accurately if the combination of numbers their undercover agent had given Tenzou the day before was still correct) and rummaged through Gosaburo's business records - again. Whether deliberately or unintentionally, the well-heeled merchant had already provided Konoha with much information in the last years of his advancement. And Konoha made sure to make him even more powerful to further network and consolidate this source of information. A valuable though unsuspecting ally.

Unfortunately, Kakashi was unable to gather more details about the ware except the confirmation that the exchange would actually happen tonight and the name of the ship. Konoha had a guess what the ware actually was, but nothing more. And that _thing_ was new. In his 23 years, Kakashi had not encountered anything like it.

So they still didn't have a face of the recipient of the goods, only the code-name 'Red'. But Red was someone or something who had at least six samurai on their payroll and whose's underhanded meddlings had stirred Konoha's interest.  


The young ANBU erased all possible traces of his presence and sneaked out of the villa again. When he got back to the maple tree, where his kohai was already waiting for him, he glanced back over his shoulder. A smile tugged at his lips at what he saw in one of the lighted windows: Konoa's undercover agent, carelessly dressed in an ornate, dark blue yukata, was playing the merchant Gosaburo coyly, grabbing at a shelf as he passed it, and a small tray with two saké cups swung under Gosaburo's nose. Maybe Kakashi was wrong, but for a moment he thought Genma Shiranui was grinning directly at his location. The blue Yukata slipped - not really by chance - from the muscular left shoulder and the copy-nin gulped.

Kakashi shook his head and looked back at his kohai, but if his fellow shinobi had noticed his reaction, he didn't mention it. So they set off to meet with ANBU-Ox, their captain on this mission, to report back to him.

~ * ~ * ~

Gosaburo's men, eight men on horses guarding a horse-drawn caravan in their midst, approached pier number 16. There was still some distance to pier number 4. Tenzou had sensed the arrival of the samurai and the creature some while ago and had informed his team, before his captain signalled him to suppress his chakra again.  
In the meantime, more and more fog wafted from the sea and started to block the view. The raining had also increased. The sparse moonlight was always hidden behind heavy clouds. All in all: A dark night at a port.

Perfect for an ambush.

ANBU-Ox had given orders to ambush the convoy BEFORE they could meet with the samuari at pier 4. Because no one knew for sure how strong their opponents were. Gosaburo's people, on the other hand, were mercenaries and partly shinobi.  
As the convoy reached Pier 15, ANBU-Ox gave the signal and Kakashi hoisted a smoke grenade amid the riders.  
Three horses broke out immediately and galloped off, with one rider falling heavily to the ground.  
The other five quickly brought their animals under control, but the coachman drove his horses down the wharf in a sharp gallop. Tenzou sped after them, the pale ANBU mask barely visible to Kakashi, then his kohai had swung himself onto one of the horses back, seemingly calmly turning around and untying the harnesses of the two horses so that the wagon stopped at pier 8.

ANBU-Ox and Kakashi had taken care of any remaining mercenaries. Unconscious and tied up, they left them at pier 14 before hurrying to Tenzou.  
He had the driver tied and gagged and stood directly next to the tarpaulin of the wagon. "You should take look at this," he whispered firmly. Then he pulled the tarpaulin apart and Kakashi's eye needed a moment to adjust to the darkness inside.

He could hear Ox taking a deep breath beside him. 

Soft whimpering reached his ears.

There were eight lightly dressed women in the wagon – all bound in chains. All of them beautiful though dirty.

'Human trafficking!', it dawned to Kakashi. 

He drew in a sharp breath as suddenly the air felt different – smelled different.

Abruptly, Tenzou disappeared from where he'd been standing.

Just that fast.

No sound at all.

Next, something tore ANBU-Ox off his feet and thrust him powerfully through the building wall of a store. On instinct Kakashi raised his arm to his face and a sword bounced against his forearm protector, but it bit through it and into his flesh. Just in time he jumped back, otherwise he would have lost his right arm.

At the same moment he threw two Kunai with explosive tags and the samurai was swirled several meters away, incredibly agile despite his heavy armor.

Kakashi ducked under the blade of another samurai, dipped his hand briefly into the blood on his forearm and onto the ground: “Kuchiyose no Jutsu!” With the momentum of the movement he let himself roll to the side, barely avoiding the halberd aimed at his legs.

Eight dogs appeared out of nowhere and immediately started to attack the enemy samurai, effectively hindering their coordinated attack and spreading chaos.  
Kakashi took advantage of the brief breather and glanced aside. There he saw the _thing_ holding Tenzou in a claw-like hand in front of it- as if his kohai weighed nothing, the other hand getting ready for the final blow.

With a yell, ANBU-Ox appeared just above them, the slender halberd of one of the samuari whirling expertly though the air and aimed directly at the shadow creature.

It released Tenzou, the claw-like hands darted upwards with incredible speed, grabbed the halberd's long grip and spun down ANBU-Ox to forcefully fling him at Tenzou.

Kakashi took the moment to attack the unprotected flank of the creature. His ninjato cut through the night, biting its way through the black robe and into dark flesh.

It shrieked at a volume that disoriented Kakashi forced him to press both hands onto his ears. 

Still he could hear his dogs whining.

Next, a blow hit him in the pit of his stomach with such strength that everything became black and dull around him.

He must have fallen to the ground, because the next thing he knew were the wet cobblestones against his temple.

Fighting against the dizziness, he struggled to his knees, dimly able to see two of his dogs in the field of his vision protecting him. He shook his head, and saw a motionless Tenzo a few feet away, near the plump black seawater ...

Startled, he recoiled and jumped back to his feet, knowing at the same time, that he was too slow... With a groan, the attacking samurai collapsed right next to him, the raised halberd clattering to the ground - a senbon sticking in his throat.

Ox and the creature appeared before him, engulfed in a fight. 

Kakashi could immediately see that it was an unequal taijutsu-fight. Even though ANBU-Ox was the classic image of a muscle-bound tank, the thing was even stronger. Ox could only dodge and try to land a hit with his kunai. There was hardly any air left for forming a jutsu, every attempt was immediately interrupted by the thing’s next attack.

Kakashi felt his dogs and the other Konoha ninja holding the samurai at bay with a lot of senbon. So he didn't take his eyes off the creature and his ANBU-captain – not even for a second – waiting for the right moment, an opening...

He bared his Sharingan under his ANBU-mask, gathered chakra, and dumb fingers formed familiar finger sings. 

There...

"Chidori!"

The chirping of a thousand birds accompanied his glaringly bright attack of lightning.

The creature noticed his plan, grabbed ANBU-Ox’s arm in a fraction of a second and pulled him in front of itself like a shield.

As if in slow-motion, Kakashi deflected his attack by a hair's breadth past his captain and into empty space. A hard kick to his shoulder caused him to tumble into the cold water.

As he broke through the surface with a gasp, he swallowed slaked water through his mask. With difficulty, he struggled to his feet again and blurry saw as the creature hurled ANBU-Ox at Tenzou again, to stop the other from rising to his feet.

Ox performed hand signals faster than the normal eye could see, and the cobblestones around the creature broke open to swallow it – a deadly and powerful technique that had killed four men at once on their last mission. 

What happened next was blocked by the powerful earth-jutsu, but before the trap could snap a glaring orange light broke through the earth, pierced ANBU-Ox’s chest and even through Tenzou's body.

Horrified, Kakashi concentrated chakra under his feet to run over the water surface and back to the wharf. 

He wanted to follow the now running creature, but a hand suddenly grabbed him hard by the shoulder and an arm twined around his chest. Just as his instincts kicked in, and he was about to free himself, a soft voice whispered into his ear: "Wait, Kakashi."

The copy-nin stopped.

"He is too strong. Your team needs you."

Kakashi swallowed. Genma, it dawned on him. Genma had stopped him. Genma's voice had stopped him from doing something stupid.

Stunned, he turned to his two team members and saw them lying motionless on the ground.

The battleground was a scene of destruction.

There were motionless figures or injured everywhere.

Lights and voices were approaching the area somewhere pier 1.

In the distance, at pier 4, he saw the creature in its black cowl on the ship the merchant had provided, leaving the harbour. It carried a small black box in his claws.

Pakkun trotted to Kakashis side. "The thing took that small box out of the wagon before it ran. It stinks like the dead."

"We have to go, ANBU-Dog," whispered Genma urgently. Only then did Kakashi notice that the other man was also wearing his ANBU-uniform and mask. So Genma's cover was probably still intact.

Kakashi kneeled down beside Ox and felt for a pulse. There was none. Then he repeated the same with Tenzou and was relieved to find a solid heartbeat. The jutsu seemed to have hit Tenzou's thigh, but as far as Kakashi could see, no artery seemed injured. So he quickly put on a compressor and did what else he knew of first-aid.

Genma was already hoisting Ox on his shoulders and Kakashi soon followed with the unconscious Tenzou.

The special jounin pointed his head in the direction of the covered wagon, where the frightened women were still crowded together. "What about them?"

Kakashi, now captain of the formerly three-man-team, went to the wagon and glanced at the dirty, skinny women. "You’ll come with us."

In response, they tried to press themselves deeper into the wagon.

"Please don’t hurt us," a woman said courageously.

"We do not wish to harm you," said Genma. His gentle voice sounded reassuring and seemed to reach the distraught women, for the spokeswoman seemed to relax a little.

"We ... Where are you taking us?"

"To safety," Kakashi answered curtly, holding out his hand, but the woman was still hesitant.

"To Konoha," Genma added, and there was hope now in her eyes.

"To Konoha?"

Genma nodded.

"Are you from Konoha?" The spokeswoman asked.

Genma turned his upper arm with Konoha's red ANBU tattoo a bit to show them the sign in the dim light of the moon. "This is the sign of Konohagakure and its ANBU. I promise you, we will not harm you. If we wanted to, you would already be dead."

As hard as the words sounded, their logic seemed to reach the disturbed women’s minds.

The spokeswoman nodded and gestured to the others to follow her. 

Genma gave her a free hand to ease her descent. The woman hesitated for a second when she saw Ox’s corpse –still on Genma's shoulder - up close, but then reached for his hand and climbed out of the wagon.

All women were bound with a long chain to each other but Kakashi didn’t need much time to let the chains dissolve into dust with one of his copied jutsus.

The women didn’t try to come near him or Genma. The masks and their appearance must be frightening them, Kakashi thought.

One woman rubbed her now free wrists. "They also have one of you. Someone from Konoha, I mean."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "What does that mean?"

The woman shook her head. "I don’t know. A woman. About our age. From Konoha, she said. But they already send her away with another ship yesterday. With several mercenaries as escorts."

"Long, brown hair. They blindfolded her constantly, and she was tied up differently than we were," added another woman after she got off the wagon. "Because she is strong. That’s everything we know. Honestly. We wouldn’t lie to you - you just saved us."

Kakashi glanced at Genma and the other nodded. 

The Tokubetsu was still assigned to Gosaburo. He had arrived here in the port town weeks before Kakashi's team and would stay here for a while longer, as his cover was still intact. He would investigate the matter from here.

Kakashi would send for reinforces and would take care of his team and the women first.

When the first torches appeared between the warehouses, the Konoha shinobi, the dogs and the women had already disappeared.

This was the first time Kakashi met Genma on an ANBU mission.


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just can’t live without some good medi-nins. So I chose to let some appear in this fic that is obviously an AU.

-Chapter 2-

"Are you able to lift your arm?"

Kakashi sighed. "I told you I’m alright, Shizune."

Ignoring Kakashi's words like every previous objection, too, she grabbed his arm to check the mobility of his shoulder. "That is for me to decide. Relax," she instructed and Kakashi obeyed. Always follow the orders of your medic, that was one of the first things his mom had taught him. Especially if they already bandaged your arm.

He had arrived in Konoha together with a team of ANBU-reinforcements about an hour ago, had immediately reported to Hiruzen Sarutobi, meanwhile Tenzou had been operated on in the hospital and Kakashi's direct ANBU supervisor had taken care of Ox’s last concerns.

A few other doctors were examining the rescued Akita women.

Kakashi would have much preferred to be alone at the moment instead of having to endure the routine check by Shizune's capable but icy-cold hands. Instead, he was sitting here on the treatment couch with his upper body bare, freezing and feeling exposed. His mask was still on his face, of course. That gave him a little comfort.

In lack of something better to do while enduring routine check-up, dark thoughts started to drift through his mind. 

He didn’t even know ANBU-Ox’s real name. Not uncommon for an ANBU-operative, but still...

He'd done several missions with him and Tenzou in the past three months, and Kakashi had come to regard the burly man as a quiet and stern captain. Fast, efficient, jounin-level and a capable team-captain.

In the port of Akita, only a fraction of a second faster and Ox would have lived and the thing would have been crushed.

"Relax!" Shizune reminded him, releasing his arm. Quickly her cool fingertips ghosted over his upper body, squeezing or softly knocking a little here and there. The dark bruises on Kakashi's abdomen had now turned quite colorful and formed a strong contrast to his pale skin. It still hurt and Shizune was especially careful with that area. 

Finally satisfied, she nodded, circled her patient and continued her examination on Kakashi's back. 

"Anything else I should know about?", she asked, focused only on her work.

"No, just those bruises, nothing else."

Shizune hummed. "You are fine."

"Told you so."

"You are fit for active duty. But ... " Shizune didn't complete the sentence. Kakashi knew what she wanted to say. He didn’t have a team anymore.

"What about Tenzou?", he asked.

Shizune reached for a clipboard and hooked a few fields on it before she wrote a few words down. "The surgery will take Tsunade-sama an hour at least. She will do everything to ensure that he won’t lose his leg and, ideally, can continue to use it without negative consequences. If anyone is able to do that, it is her."

Kakashi felt an uncomfortable pang in his chest. Although Shizune had wanted to comfort him, her words weren’t soothing at all. He hadn’t realized the potential consequences of Tenzou's leg-injury could be that severe. If his kohai had to retire from active duty..., well, he wasn’t much younger than Kakashi.

The jounin grimaced and jumped off the cot. "If you don’t need me anymore ..."

Shizune smiled and shook her head. "You are free to go, Kakashi-san."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

It was late in the afternoon and Kakashi was sitting on a tree reading a book, seemingly deeply absorbed. It was Jiraya's first work and very, very interesting. Yet…

"I thought you weren't in Konoha anymore?"

Asuma leaned against the trunk of the tree on a nearby branch and expertly lit a cigarette. 

Only after he took a deep drag he answered. "I have my reasons."

Not an answer. So his fellow jounin was playing mysterious? Well, the copy-nin was an expert in that. 

Mentally wrapping himself up in mystery, he went back to read his book.

Asuma's gaze slid from the young copy-nin to the windows of the hospital in front of them. 

He could make out Tenzou's sleeping form in one of the rooms and smiled softly. "I heard the operation went very well."

"Hm-m."

"That's good news."

Both stayed silent for a while.

Finally, Asuma sighed as his cigarette had gone up. "I thought I'd tell you about Ox’s funeral tomorrow. It’s at lunchtime."

Kakashi blinked. Then he looked up again.

Asuma's look was serious. "He was my uncle."

Once again, silence fell over the two young men as they followed their own path of thoughts.

This was confidential information. It wasn't uncommon for ANBU-furnerals to be silent and lonely. At least, this one wouldn't be. It explained why Asuma was back in Konoha. 

Kakashi closed his book. "I'm sorry for your loss. Thank you for the information."

Asuma rummaged in his breast pocket for new cigarettes. He seemed to avoid Kakashi's dark eye. "Higen Sarutobi," he murmured as he turned. “That was his name.” 

Then he jumped off of the branch and disappeared.

Kakashi stayed where he was, murmured a silent "Thank you" into the wind and went back to his book.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Five days later.

"Kampaiiii!", Anko and Aoba shouted at the same time, clinking their sake bowls and successfully splitting half of its content onto the table.

Gai mercilessly cheered them on while Raidou desperately tried to calm everyone down, casting nervous glances at the elderly bartender.

"Come on, Kakashi. For a birthday boy you sure are scowling a lot," Anko teased and Aoba nodded in absolute agreement. Gai also added something about and everlasting cycle of the seasons, but Kakashi had already stopped listening. 

Because at the entrance of the small bar his friends chose for this evening someone else had appeared and made Kakashi's heart involuntarily beat faster for a moment.

The others quickly discovered the other, too.

"Genma!" Raidou exclaimed, hurrying to meet his best friend. The two hugged each other very manly and with lots of loud and exaggerated slapping each other’s backs – as far as Kakashi was concerned - and exchanged a few hastily whispered words.

Kakashi chose the moment to rise from his seat and Genma's gaze slid straight to him. The copy-nin pointed with his chin to the balcony and the Tokujou excused himself to the others.

"Oh, come on!", Anko exclaimed disappointed. "He's just arrived!" 

But at that moment, Asuma and Ibiki entered the little bar, which must have been an adequate compensation for Anko because she winked the dark interrogator and Asuma excitedly to her side. 

Genma leaned against the railing besides Kakashi, trying awkwardly to light a crumpled excuse of a cigarette. He paused when Kakashi wordlessly held out a finger to his face, at the top of it danced a small flame.

Genma leaned forward and took the silent invitation. 

Without speaking, he studied the younger shinobi, as if making sure the other was fine, frowning at the bandage around his arm, where the samurai's sword had caught him five days ago. The last time they had seen each other had been at Kinata-harbour. 

Kakashi put both hands on the cool dark wood of the railing and let his gaze wander to the small adjacent park. When he finished his scanning for possible unwanted listeners, he finally said, "Tenzou is doing well, considering the circumstances. However, he will be out of duty for at least a month."

Genma took another drag from his cigarette and blew the smoke into the night sky. The light from inside the bar reflected on the senbon still put between his lips.

"Ox had a proper funeral three days ago. His name is now carved on the stone."

Genma closed his eyes for a moment. "And the women?"

"They are being brought home by two teams as we are speaking. Within the next few days everyone should be back home with their families."

Genma propped both elbows back on the railing. Lost in thought, he let his eyes wander over the celebrating friends inside the building. "Good. I hope they'll be safe there."

Kakashi's sharp gaze hit him from the side, a silent request to elaborate, that Genma didn't immediately follow, but rather concentrated on smoking again. "The human traffic ring is still operating." That meant Genma's mission had failed. "I also couldn't find out anything about the woman from Konoha, the women mentioned. Did you talk about that info with the Hokage?"

Kakashi nodded. "That's why I wanted to speak to you without the others."

The special-jounin tried to hide his sudden tension, but Kakashi could read his body language as clearly as Jiraya’s book. Genma granted himself one last look at the others inside the bar, then turned around to peer into the small park as well. "No good news, I suppose. Do I know her?"

Kakashi nodded. "The Hokage only hinted, so in the last few days I've been investigating and calling in a few favors."

Genma swallowed. Maybe he guessed more of the gravity of the situation.

"I have no evidence, but someone had already been searching for the missing women and asked Konoha for help. A team was sent to investigate and probably at least one team member was under-cover. It seemed that it was part of the plan to let herself get caught. Her team should be with her to observe her mission."

Genma stared down at the small pond with a watercourse that splattered a few meters below their balcony. "If I understand correctly, I did miss my sister, when she was in Kinata to be transported to who knows where?"

Kakashi nodded. "It looks that way.”

"Is she okay?"

"She is not alone, if that's what you mean. I do not know more about that mission."

Genma hissed a curse about shinobi-villages and their secrets. "Human trafficking sounds bad enough for me. She's a beauty. If only I'd found out more. Gosaburo is a merchant. He deals with everything that seems profitable to him. I had previously found no evidence of human-trafficking, this is new. But apparently you just have to order, no matter what, and he'll get it for you. Maybe I should just ask him to get my sister back, and he'll deliver that order, too." 

He was silent for a while, processing the information. "So two teams and me were somehow involved in Kinata?"

Kakashi nodded. Nobody could have known at that time that all the threads would come together at Gosaburo's place. At least not until that evening in Kinata. Gosaburo proved to be more influential than expected. 

Which is why Genma had been in an excellent position. 

Which led him to his next question.

"Why are you back?"

Again, his friend unconsciously showed clear signs of stress. But even more. Discomfort? No... Red cheeks ... Embarrassment!

"I was caught."

Kakashi raised a slender eyebrow at that. 

Although Genma was prone to blushing while with his friends (with them, he always let his guard down), he never gave himself away like that on a mission. So… 

"How?"

Genma stubbed out the cigarette on the nearby ashtray and scratched his stubbly, unshaven chin. Kakashi silently noticed this as a sign, that Genma had only recently returned home. So Genma was stressed? 

"After the events in the harbor, Gosaburo's next step was to double his security guards. He allowed himself a new and super expensive head of security. A shinobi he knew, a jounin, if you ask me. And a damn good one." He was blushing again. Cute.

Kakashi tilted his head. "How did he discover your identity?"

"The new kimono," Genma sighed, and Kakashi felt himself blushing at those new implications. Luckily, his mask and his hitai-ate almost completely covered his face and gave nothing away to his friend. That kimono was a weapon itself. Whoever Genma's tailor was, that person had created a national treasure.

"Gosaburo gave it to me. I actually thought all my scars were covered and I wouldn’t have to cover them with a henge. I didn’t want to tick off Kaitou, said jounin, by using more chakra than normal for a civilian. Well ... Turned out he’s a sensor-type." Genma inclined his head in thought, with a slight and incredible cute pout, and Kakashi could see the muscles at his neck flexing. In his mind he suddenly saw the image of a lascivious Gosaburo sliding his fleshy, greedy fingers first over the expensive fabric of said kimono and then over Genma's hot and sweaty skin, when Kaitou suddenly came into the room and saw them... It sounded a bit like Jiraiya's book. He took a look at the attractive shinobi next to him and decided that it must have been something like that – Jiraya’s bad influence. So maybe he was too young to read that stuff after all. But then again he turned 24 today, so no. 

He interrupted his fantasies as Genma sighed and continued in exasperation. "It was the shuriken injury I got in the beginning of this year. He immediately recognized it for what it was and set a trap for me two days later."

Kakashi raised a slender eyebrow again. "And you fell for it?"

Genma grimaced. It seemed to be hard for him to admit he indeed had. "I wanted to find out who Kaitou actually is – so I looked him up in Gosaburo's files. He took me by surprise."

In the afterthought, the trap had been so obvious Kakashi could understand Genma’s embarrassment.

Which didn’t stop his mind from wandering and dramatically imagining the events. In his mind, Kakashi saw the merchant's study with the heavy carpets and curtains, recalling every detail of the black safe with the number code, and imagined Genma opening the safe with his talented fingers, pull out the shinobi's file before smoothly dodging out of the way, for Kaitou's sword would have cut him in half. That’s how he would have given himself away. Trained reflexes. "Does Kaitou have a sword?" He asked, and Genma blinked in irritation.

"What? Yes. Yes, he has one. But he used shuriken at me."

“Fits.”

In his mind, Kakashi's imagination flawlessly adapted to the new information, and he could picture colorfully, how the two then faced each other, ready to strike every second, and - "Since I had blown my cover when I dodged that vicious little things, I threw the letter opener at him. He just caught the damn thing between his flat hands like a monk or something," Genma muttered morosely.

Still sexy in Kakashi's fantasy. "How did you escape?"

"We fought. I wasn’t able to beat him."

Kakashi blinked and looked at Genma again. Then how ...?

A red glow started to spread on Genma's cheeks, and Kakashi saw in his mind as the two of them rolled around Gosaburo's large study, fighting, stopped abruptly by the wall, and Genma, his expensive but traitorous kimono slipping off his shoulders again, muscular chest exposed and slightly sweaty, heaving from extortion, lying helplessly underneath the powerful enemy shinobi...

"I ... convinced him to let me go," Genma added quickly. "I had to pack my stuff immediately and leave, that was his condition. And how are you?"

The attempt to redirect the topic was so pathetic that Kakashi didn't even react to it. Instead, his jaw hit to the ground. "You slept with him?"

Genma chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head, his cheeks now practically glowing. "And how are you?"

Kakashi shook his head in disbelief. He wondered for a moment about his own reaction, but then he brushed off the thought. Obviously the influence of Jiraiya's book. Absolutely the influence of the book. 

The most important thing was that Genma was alive and well and back in Konoha.

"It's my birthday," Kakashi finally answered Genma's question.

Grateful the other had decided to get along the change of topic, Genma pointed to the inside of the bar and to the others, who suddenly burst out into laughter at something Aoba said. "Then we should start celebrating."

Kakashi's gaze was so intense that Genma hesitated for a moment and instinctively swallowed, mesmerized. Yeah, the power of a gaze... Then he visibly shook off whatever thoughts had crossed his mind and stalked back to Raidou and the others.

Kakashi watched him move and remembered the moment at the Kinata harbour, when Genma had slung his arms around him to stop him and the Tokujou’s pleasant voice had sounded directly next to his ear to stop him before he could do anything stupid. Well... Somehow that led to sudden visions in his mind that were totally stupid, too. So it wasn’t only the book but also Genma on that mission in Kinata, too, that let his recently awoken creativity wander… He sighed inwardly, shook his head and chose to enjoy the silence of the balcony for a while longer. That was, until there was suddenly a voice at his ear…

"My eternal rival."

Of course. Till Gai came.


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That chapter turned out much longer than expected. But I had some time to kill (having a cold can do that to you... gyabong....)  
Thanks a lot for the comments and kudos!

Chapter 3

Genma skillfully wound himself under the other, grabbing his arm at the same time and flung the shinobi onto the mats with a powerful shoulder-throw.  
With a dull curse the boy landed on his back. Immediately, Genma was on him, twisted his arms in a complicated hold to turn him around, pressed him down flat against the mat and simply sat on the others back. With a wry grin he pulled his cherry-lollipop out of his mouth.

"So? Who’s now sucking what? "

The shinobi with the shaved head, Gyobue, snorted and patted the floor three times with his palm. That was the sign to stop. The training match was over. 

Genma got up and happily continued sucking on his lollipop.

Gyobue dusted his black training slacks. "Prick," he hissed grimly.

Genma snorted.

Gyobue’s aggressiveness immediately got the better of him, and he made a beeline to his former opponent, chin held up defiantly. "You're just lucky you had Gai as a training partner, that’s all, Hitsuji!"

Casually, Genma raised both hands. "If you call always getting your ass handed to you as serious training, then yes."

"Oh, just… fuck off. I really don’t care anymore about what you put into that damn mouth of yours," Gyobue spat and left the training mats, cursing not so silently to himself.

"But you would," Genma commented amused. Then he sighed. Another entry on Genma's mental list of imbecile ANBU idiots. 

Instructor Daisiki, like everyone else present barefoot and dressed only in training slacks and shirt, stepped onto the mats. He sent a few sharp words about neglecting his cover after Gyobue and then planted himself in front of Genma. Daisiki was in his mid thirties, almost ten years older than Genma, tall and built like a trunk. The bright eyes in the broad face sparkled smartly and betrayed the rather dull appearance.

"Good timing," he grumbled, which must be the biggest compliment Genma had ever received from him - so far. It must be Genma's lucky day. 

"I have a new sparring partner for you, Hitsuji." 

That he had just humiliated Gyobue in front of the other members of the entire training group couldn’t be the reason for that. Either someone new had joined ANBU or someone had been transferred into their unit. Daisiki jerked his thumb over his shoulder and Genma followed the gesture with his eyes to the entrance of the training hall.

A shinobi about his height, dressed in complete ANBU gear, entered the underground training room. Silver-gray hair, an extremely toned and slender physique, a dog mask in front of his face and a cool aura that immediately filled the room. Not only him but everyone here knew who Hatake Kakashi was. With or without mask.

Thanks to his friendship with Gai, Genma had known him for almost all of his childhood. He smiled involuntarily. These days fate surprisingly often graced him with Kakashi's presence. In busy times it wasn’t uncommon to not see each other for months.

However ... This time his Taijutsu-training with Gai would no longer be beneficial to him, as Kakashi trained with Konoha’s Taijutsu-monster on a regular basis. If Daisiki wanted him to repent his arrogant treatment of Gyobue, then maybe this plan could work. But just maybe. Genma had learned a lot from Gai. In addition, he always enjoyed the few moments with the elusive jounin.

The specialjounin toyed with his lollipop and tilted his head expectantly. 

Kakashi hesitated for a split-second. He had probably felt Genma's presence even before entering the room. The Jounin had always been good at identifying chakra signatures. A real Ninjutsu and Taijutsu monster in one.  
The brief hesitation might be a good sign for Genma. Maybe the other would show him some mercy.

Genma's lips lifted into a crooked grin. He hadn’t seen Kakashi fight since the battle in Kinata- harbor four weeks ago. But each time when he saw the skillful worrior, he was proud to be shinobi as well, and maybe he would get in some cool fighting scenes of his own.

Instructor Daisiki beckoned to the copy-ninja to step on the training mats, and there was a murmur among the present ANBU. The training matches on the other mats came to a halt one by one. Even Anko - somewhere in the back of the hall - stopped swinging her Kusarigami, with which she had used to produce rather annoying sounds seemingly for hours now than doing some serious practice. Even though she never would admit that.

Genma could hear the wispered words "Reiketsu no Kakashi," friend killer Kakashi. Neither Kakashi nor Daisiki responded. Pure, cool professionalism in a suddenly subcooled and tense atmosphere. So Genma decided to respond instead. 

With a big grin he approached Kakashi and pulled him tightly against his chest - in front of everyone, as if meeting a long-lost but valued friend.

Genma suspected Kakashi had been transferred again. His last team ... Well, Genma had always liked ANBU-Ox. Tenzou was certainly still in rehab. And Kakashi ... An ANBU who stayed nowhere for long, without a permanent team, just sent where he was needed, but only few ANBUs wanted to stay around him for a long time. Too many dark secrets, too much deadly and obvious ingenuity, too many rumors and stories of murdering friends or teammates. The newest rumor was that three months ago he had killed Hirata Nigori, a suspected traitor, on a mission. Well, that didn’t exactly improve Kakashi's reputation.

But Genma knew a little more about the copy-nin than most. And Genma was just Genma. Also, he thought that Kakashi, with his dark, serious aura and the crazy hair, was just drop dead sexy. Genma had always been a sucker for these freaky types.

"I'm glad to see you," his voice sounded surprisingly raw in his own ears.  
Kakashi didn’t return the surprise hug, was even frozen, but Genma patted him on the back, exaggerated and masculine, as he always liked to do with close friends. "Let's start right now."

They stood in the middle of the mat area.

Daisiki briefly frowned, his eyes lingered at Genma's lollipop, undoubtedly various horror scenarios just passed his chunky skull in which Kakashi gave Genma a second trachea with it. But then he silently retreated from the training area.

The other ANBU gathered on the edge of the mats. Gyobue, meanwhile, had returned and couldn’t hide a sardonic grin as soon as he understood what was going on. It would propably be better for Gyobue if he had his Ushi mask, his cow mask, on. The sight would have been much prettier and less spiteful.

Demonstratively Genma spat out his lollipop. It landed on the sticky side next to Genma's training bag and Gyobue's left foot. Disgusted, the chunin jumped back. "Yuck! You are so disgusting, Hitsuji! Quit the shit!"

Genma gave him wink. " What am I to do? My charms work only for you.” 

"Oh please clean up afterwards, Hitsuji!" Anko exclaimed grinning and put her hand on her hip. The bloodlust in her eyes was barely concealed. Another case of better putting on that porcelain mask, Genma thought in alarm.

"Inu’ll wipe the floor with you anyway." She laughed.

Genma's crooked grin froze. Why exactly did he want to fight Kakashi again?  
Kakashi hadn’t taken off his Inu-mask and quietly waited until Genma turned back to him. Behind it, Genma could only see a seemingly passive eye. Nothing more. No interpretable body language. No help as with the overly expressive Gai. 

Nothing.

Anko rubbed her hands greedily.

Genma swallowed. Yeah. Why actually ...?

...

Two seconds later, Genma was rudely flung into the mat, one arm twisted painfully under his body, the other pressed to his own throat, in an almost exact mimicry of Genma's scene with Gyobue earlier. 

"I see you're happy to see me, too," Genma hissed with difficulty.

He could have sworn that Kakashi was smiling behind the dog mask, though he could only feel the weight of the others body on his back. Well, Genma would not end up like Goybue. And certainly not in front of that bastard’s eyes. With Gai the following trick had always worked. So…

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Genma tried to breathe in and out a few times to prepare himself for the inevitable.

"Ready?" Daisiki asked.

Genma nodded.

Without further ado, Daisiki's huge hand tightened the grip on Genma's left arm and gently pulled it up while the other gripped Genma's shoulder firmly. A strong jerk and gruesome "plop" followed, and Genma's left arm was set again.

"You just should have stopped," Gyobue grinned meanly.

"You know me. I just follow my ninja instincts. "

Gyobue snorted. "Another shitty instinct."

"The next two days it’s target practice for you, Hitsuji."

Genma grumbled. "That's really not necessary. My accuracy is 100%! "

"Your pride can cost the lives of your comrades, Hitsuji. Do not let it overwhelm you again. And never ever let your abilities rust."

This smothered Genmas protest immediately. The scolding was deserved, but it was embarrassing to receive it in front of Kakashi. He felt a telltale warmth on his cheeks. Great. That again.

Kakashi had been waiting in the background silently the whole time. His thoughts were completely hidden behind the pale porcelain mask. 

Genma turned to him: "Sorry, that I wasn’t a better sparring partner for you, senpai."

Inu still didn't say a word and Genma sighed in annoyance. Was he wrong or were Kakashi's shoulders shaking slightly? Maybe he didn’t enjoy the moments with Kakashi as much as he'd thought.

"It's your turn," Daisiki muttered to Anko.

An aura of bloodlust suddenly flooded the room.

Well, if Genma was too proud and Gyobue too incompetent, then Anko was definitely too greedy.

Demonstratively, she let her long fingers crack. "Good. I couldn’t wait any longer."

Kakashi tensed.

Anko crackled the muscles of her neck as she entered the mats. "And do not expect me to fight as fair as Hitsuji."

"I never expected that from you," Kakashi replied calmly.

That made Anko beam at him. "Lovely."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

A dreamy sigh escaped him, his chin resting on a gloved hand.

Asuma glanced at him, but did not budge. For the last half hour they had been sitting here with their angling rods on the green by the river and waited for something to bite. This was Asuma's very masculine farewell scenario before he would return to the monks - secretly.

Kakashi knew that Asuma was trying to avoid Kurenai. Asuma couldn’t stand her disappointment at his renewed departure. Therefore, he had resorted to become the possibly most silent fellow fishermen shortly after Ibiki, and now they were both sitting here to celebrate Asuma's last hours in Konoha without reproachful or disappointed family and friends.

But he couldn’t bring himself to blame his the bearded jounin. So instead he used the chance to indulge in the memories of his previous training ... the moment with Genma. Not the one with Anko. The fight with her had been scary and dirty. Poisonous snakes seemingly everywhere while the vicious Kusarigami had kept him at distance… Only when Kakashi killed one of the snakes by accidentally - or instinctively - stepping on it, did Anko stop. Well, the three shinobi had to clean up the room afterwards under Daisiki’s watchful eyes, and he had been able to spent even more time with the senbon ninja.

He hadn’t seen him since his birthday. 

The smell in the underground training hall had been an attack on his nose, as always, but Genma's unique smell and warm flickering chakra had been all the more pleasant and rewarding...

For a moment he silently cursed himself. The hug had just gone well. But the training fight ... He was hard the moment Genma readied himself for their fight with that wry smile. That had forced him to end the fight as soon as possible, which had been a tragedy on its own. 

He was pretty sure he had been able to hide his dirty little secret fast enough with a fast Henge without even Daisiki noticing, but when he had sat on Genma's back, everything had become even more difficult. 

However, Kakashi had been so distracted for a moment that he had failed to notice Genma's next move and had simply reacted – and dislocated Genma’s arm. 

Damn. 

That’s not what he had intended. Not even in the slightest.

He cursed his body reactions and handsome, hot shinobi. 

But only for a moment.

It surely had felt fantastic to grope these firm muscles while holding the other down… Oh, if only the other knew his dirty thoughts, he would run away screaming.

His gaze dropped back to the book in his lap, raising an eyebrow.

Asuma followed his gaze. "You don’t really read that, do you?"

Kakashi grinned happily. "For the fifth time. I'm now reading extra slowly, so I don't have to wait that long for the next volume."

Asuma scratched his stubbly chin. “If only more people knew what a twisted genius you are…” 

“Well, no rumor compares to the truth.” 

As Kakashi sporadically giggled crazily and repeatedly scared off potentially biting fish, Asuma wondered if it had really been wise to persuade Kakashi to go fishing with him. Maybe he should just bear up and invite Kurenai for dinner.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

It was eight days later when a bird pecked at Genma's window early in the morning. Genma got up from his push ups and opened. Immediately, the animal fluttered in, circled Genma's head for a moment, then flew away. The band on the bird's right claw had been red.

That meant immediate appearance before the Hokage.

Tingling tension arose in Genma. In no time he had thrown on the remaining parts of his ANBU-gear and left his small flat right through the window.

Soon he crossed the neighborhood via the rooftops that separated him from the Hokage Tower. 

Raidou and Iwashi stood guard at the door. When Raidou recognized Genma, he knocked and poked his head into the room beyond. Then he opened it completely and waved Genma in.

Raidou looked suprisingly tense and Genma was anything but reassured, because his best friend was damn good at sensing moods. That made him an excellent friend, but also a miserable opponent at gambling.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, third Hokage of Konoha, followed Genma's approach with a serious look on his face. Despite his advanced age, the Hokage was still the most powerful ninja in Konoha and was well respected. A wise man who sometimes jumped unpredictably between hardness and mildness.  
Genma, having spent many hours as a Hokage guard, noted from experience of tiny bits and pieces in Hiruzen's otherwise neutral body language that unpleasant news were awaiting.

Immediately he thought of his sister Michirou. A moment later he reminded himself of what was expected of him and dropped to his knees before his superior, a fist on the floor, head lowered. "Hokage-sama."

"Genma," the old man began. "I called you here to tell you personally that your sister, Shiranui Michiru, has been declared missing in action. We lost sight of her ten days ago."

Cold spread in Genma's chest.

"At that time her team lost all contact with her and was almost completely wiped out when trying to find her again."

Genma lifted his head in shock, he could feel his haunted expression betraying his thoughts. It was too difficult for him to stay calm now.

"There is no reason to believe that your sister is dead, too. I've just sent a team to her last known location. They have every information about your sister’s mission."

Before he knew it, Genma was on his feet. "Send me after them, Hokage-sama. I…"

A decisive hand gesture silenced him. The old eyes became milder. "Genma-kun. I can not send you after them. Not now, anyway. Your concern for your sister Michirou is more than understandable but clouds your judgment. Instructor Daisiki also told me about your developments in training."

Genma cursed inwardly. The Hokage would never send him now, fearing that Genma's emotions would overwhelm him and endanger the entire team. That mission must still be absolutely dangerous. He ground his teeth and longed the familiar weight of his senbon on his lips, but of course he had appeared in front of the Hokage weaponless.

"I sent a very good team. Be assured they will give their best."

"Who ... did you send?" Genma asked breathlessly although he shouldn’t be allowed that much intel.

"Kurenai. Together with her ANBU team. They will do everything possible to find your sister."

Genma nodded, became aware of his angry body language, and instantly took a neutral stance again, his hands behind his back. His heart was still racing painfully in his chest. Apart from his sister, all he had left was his father. He didn't want to lose Michirou too, not after their mother, even though he knew that day could always come.

He took a deep breath and tried to choose his next words with caution, but a knock on the door interrupted him.

Raidou poked his head inside apologetically. "Excuse me, Hokage-sama, the Daimyo's ambassador is here now."

Hiruzen nodded and the door was fully opened.

A middle-aged man in fine clothing entered the room with Raidou at his side. The man glanced at Genma for a moment, then the newcomer bowed proudly and exaggeratedly elegant. What followed was a series of deferences, which were patiently endured by Hiruzen, and finally the handing over of a gift chest wrapped in a richly decorated scarf, together with some documents.

"It's already been checked, it's clean," Raidou explained.

The slick man raised an extremely slender eyebrow. "Of course it is." 

A few more inconsequential diplomatic rhetorics followed, all the while Genma and Raidou tried to be as invisible as possible, having witnessed this kind of visits on many occasions, the messenger finally retreated. Raidou was sent to escort him to a prepared guest room, where the messenger would freshen up and recover before returning with Hiruzen's answer.

The Hokage read the enclosed letters calmly, glanced briefly into the open chest, and Genma already believed he was dismissed. Just as he was about to clear his throat, Hiruzen's stern eyes looked up and banished him to the spot. Genma tensed immediately. 

That was clearly the look his mother had always given him when he had done something wrong. Or Chouza-sensei.

He swallowed involuntarily and suddenly felt like a small child that was about to be scolded. 

Had he screwed up anything else besides the training recently?

For what seemed like an eternity Hiruzen said nothing, letting Genma fidget for a while longer.

Then he carefully lifted the gift towel aside and pointed to the contents of the packet. "The sender of this package is, as you know by now, the Daimyo of the Fire Country. But its... content... is from someone else."

Genma blinked slowly, but said nothing.

The Hokage pronounced his next words very deliberately. "It's from a ...merchant... of Kinata... who sent it to Konoha via his new good friend, said Daimyo of the Fire Country."

Genma suddenly had a feeling as if the temperature in the small room had risen considerably. He knew a merchant in Kitana ... He involuntarily held his breath.

"A highly official delivery, in all honors and with far-reaching diplomatic implications..."

A drop of sweat started its way down Genma's temple.

"The content is a really expensive… choker."

Genma felt vaguely relieved. Not meant for him, then.

"This choker is to be delivered to the, I quote," insanely flexible and handsome shinobi who loves to chew on senbon and casually protects the Hokage, in the hope of a speedy reunion."

Genma wished the ground would open up and swallow him. Immediately. That would be a less painful death...

A vein on Hiruzen's forehead started to throb dangerously, and every second it became more visible.

"May I assume that your last mission in Kinata not only revealed your identity as a spy, but also that you are a Konoha shinobi?"

Genma gulped. "I…-"

"And may I assume as well," the Hokage interrupted him, "that your complete identity with all the former-mentioned precarious information has also fallen prey to the enemy?"

Genma was now positively squirming. "Hokage-sama, I ... I ... It's ... that ..."

"I am… all ears?"

The specialjounin reminded himself of his position and struggled for his composure. "It must be Gosaburo Tenji's new chief of security, Kaitou. He must have done some research, probably has sources on the black market ... "

Hiruzen's eyes flashed meaningfully.

"The friendship between Gosaburo and the Daimyo can only have come up in the last few days. They have never met or contacted each other before, I'm sure."

"Am I correct in assuming that your hasty escape led Gosaburo Tenji to investigate the matter further and, in a short amount of time, learn such delicate intel?"

Genma's thoughts were racing feverishly. "He ... he must have asked the Daimyo. There is no other explanation to have found out so much so fast. The Daimyo knows my face and about my position since Minato-sama made me part of the Goei-Shotai."  
The Fire Country’s Daimyo was a quirky and whimsical fellow whose attention, however, was easily distracted by a few beautiful gifts and treasures, if in the mood. If Gosaburo had used his merchant's charm on the Daimyo ... That would be a powerful friendship that could not only bring pleasant consequences for Konoha. That was probably, Genma realized, somehow his fault. But only somehow, right?... Right?

With an elegant gesture Hiruzen reminded him of the present still sitting on the desk like a shiny advertising. "Well, I suppose, this gift of Gosaburo Tenji is addressed to you?"

Genma's cheeks literally exploded in a blush. Maybe he could talk himself out somehow. The description had been vague enough ... But a process of elimination was enough ... The damn senbon. Damn Goei-Shotai. So…"Incredibly flexible ...", he whispered in disbelief. Oh how unbelievably embarrassing that such news went through official diplomatic channels ... Did the Daimyo now know about this too?

Remembering the Hokage was still waiting for his answer he nodded tightly, muscles trembling. "That would be… possible."

"The collar has bezels with very rare minerals. According to a quick and fast ANBU research, it has an estimated value of 10,000 gold ryu."

Genma blinked. That was probably more than he had ever earned his whole life.

"A letter is enclosed. Rejecting the gift could have political consequences. Is there anything we should know about that accepting this gift could be problematic?"

Genma numbly shook his head. As a genin he'd even loved to wear a choker, a gift from his sister who used to wear one too, he'd liked how it felt around the neck, yet he'd never wear _this_ gift by choice

"But ... that still does not explain who sent this little package along."

Hiruzen pulled out a black bag from within the chest, on which Genma's complete name had been written in fine gold letters.

He wanted to cry. 

So the Hokage knew all along… That sadistic… deeply respected… bastard….

"The two documents have different authors, as the handwriting clearly prove, but have been sent together. Now? Is there anything left to say what I should know about, Shiranui Genma?"

The Tokujou swallowed. "That ... would be... Kaitou's... handwriting and gift ..., Gosaburo's new head of security ... Probably."

Hiruzen paused. His eyes literally pierced through Genma.

Seconds expanded into long moments in which nobody moved.

"Probably?", he stretched.

Genma hurried to nod. "Hai, Hokage-Sama." If he survived this conversation, he surely would look years older. If he even made it out alive. He should check the mirror later for gray hairs… Oh, that would be another tragedy!

Hiruzen took a deep breath and Genma closed his eyes to prepare for a hopefully quick end. 

But instead of a thunderstorm a deep sigh sounded.

Genma took a careful look.

For a moment the Hokage closed his suddenly tired eyes and Genma bit his teeth in shame. Although no thunder, there were many too embarrassing leaks for a personal bodyguard of the Hokage. He had been unmasked by a notorious black marketer. That was bad. Really bad. That would seriously endanger future undercover missions… Was Genma going to be suspended now?

"There ... are ...certainly new opportunities," the Hokage continued after a while of silent thinking. "Your contact with Gosaburo could mean that this source of information will continue to be available to Konoha in the future." Hiruzen suddenly looked very tired and cast a glance at the pictures of the past Hokages on the wall. Then the expression disappeared.

"Inu!"

Kakashi bodyflickered into a kneeling position, his face hidden behind the mask. This just had to be Genma's lucky day again. Of all possible witnesses for this ...farce ... Hiruzen’s second ANBU watch this day had to be _him_...

In the meantime the old Hokage had conjured a scroll from a drawer and put a few added words to it. The paper was of high quality and apparently already prescribed.

"That's the reply for the Daimyo. The mission office should look for a proper transfer together with the Daimyo's ambassador. An escort-mission."

Kakashi nodded and got up.

"Genma should sign it as well," Hiruzen muttered suddenly. "I assume you are in the picture, Inu?"

The ANBU in question nodded. "Hai, I could hear everything, Hokage-sama."

Genma couldn't suppress a whimper.

"The matter is strictly confidential, is that clear."

Genma and Kakashi answered in unison. "Hai, Hokage-sama."

Kakashi fetched the utensils from the desk, passed scroll and quill to Genma, and helpfully turned his back to let Genma use it as a pad. Gritting his teeth, Genma wrote his name underneath the elegant writing of the Hokage to state he received the gifts. He could swear that Kakashi's shoulders were slightly shaking.

This whole matter was so ...

"Genma?"

He looked up.

"When a greedy man makes rich gifts, he often wants to keep the most expensive ones for himself.

This is not something I demand from my shinobi. It is your decision to make."

Genma took a moment to consider it, noticing the change of mood for the first time. "Understood, Hokage-sama. Like my mother before, I'm willing to do everything for Konoha."

"Just... think the matter through," Hiruzen insisted surprisingly gentle and Genma paused. "And if there's anything you would like to talk about, do it."

So that's why Hiruzen summoned Kakashi for the job as the overqualified delivery guy. Of course he knew about their friendship. And so Genma had a potential listener at the same time, who also already knew about the situation. One of the first things he had learned from his teacher about undercover and seduction missions had been, not to bottle things up. Hiruzen knew of the importance of these things, too. Of course he did.

Genma sighed. He was fine. Nevertheless, he felt gratitude. First the shocking news about his sister and then this embarassing Daimyo - Gosaburo disaster ... He wouldn’t have to deal with the situation on his own, Hiruzen had taken care of that.

A fine smile played Genma's lips and he bowed his head. His loyalty to Konoha's Hokage was always irrefutable. "Hokage-sama, please always count on me."

Hiruzen smiled thinly. Then he released the two ninja with the documents.

Iwashi opened the door for them and let them out.

This must have been the most awkward conversation between Hiruzen and Genma in his entire life and he was very eager to finally escape this place.

"And don’t forget your gifts, Genma."

He whimpered. Depressed, the shinobi returned and took what was now… rightfully his.

He could swear Kakashi shook himself behind his mask with silent laughter. The traitor!

Side by side they left the room and Kakashi leaned close to Genma's ear: "So, 'incredibly flexible', huh?"

"Oh, shut up!"

"Let me see the gifts?"

"No!"

* ~ * ~ * ~

Night had fallen over Konoha.

Gloved fingers carefully searched one scroll after the other. A look at the external description was enough to exclude the next one, too. The shinobi paused, but the footsteps in the hall had died down again. So he continued his silent work at records.

The next scroll had the right seal.

A second glance was enough to identify it as a blood seal.

He left the room as silently as he had entered it.

When he arrived back at his apartment, he closed all curtains.

Then he opened the secret compartment behind the bookshelf. There, in a storage scroll, he had a vial of his sister's blood. Both of them had one for such a case.

Genma Shiranui dropped a drop on the blood seal and Michirou Shiranui's last mission report opened.


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to speed things up a little so I put two scenes in one at the beginning (Hokage's office). Therefore it is a bit loaded.  
And therefore I have to change some ages. I wanted the Kakashi's and Genma's relationship to develop over the years, but some events in the plot wouldn't fit. 
> 
> So Kakashi should be something around 23/24 and Genma 26/27.

The same night Genma broke into Records, three shinobi returned to Konoha.

Hiruzen frowned at the various reports in his hands.

Shikaku Nara put a small object wrapped in a velvet cloth onto the table. Behind him stood Chouza and Inoichi with their arms folded behind their backs.

"I thought it was no longer on the market."

"It wasn’t, for a long time. The last wave had been after the Kyubi attack."

Hiruzen nodded and opened the cloth. A black mineral came into view. Just as big as a small coin. The numerous edges gleamed in the light of the office lamp.  


"There are rumors that a new mine has been found."  


"Where?"

"Iwagakure. Somewhere in the mountains near the border to the Land of Bears. Maybe nearby Yorokobi. However, the sealed mines might have been reopened, too."

Lost in thought, the old man kneaded his chin. "Tsunade’s findings while treating Tenzou’s wounds match this information." Unconsciously, his other hand approached the mineral. Shikaku's dark eyes followed the movement. The jounin held his breath.

Just before Hiruzen's finger touched the mineral, he paused. For a short moment Shikaku was sure to have seen a starting glimmer from the inside of the mineral.  
Quickly, the Hokage withdrew his hand and Shikaku let out his breath. He smiled crookedly. "It's the first example of Sōsu behind Konoha's walls since the fire incident in the South Quarter about fifteen years ago."

The Hokage threw the velvet cloth over the object again. "It should be locked away safely. Only us present are to know about its existence here in Konoha."

The three Shinobi bowed. "Hokage-sama."

"Is the Yamaguji group involved?"

"That can only be suspected at the moment. But it is likely. The code name "Red" has fallen twice. We do not know if it's a group or a person. It could also be a splinter group of the Yamaguji family, but from the context the name fell we know that "Red" has a lot of influence."

"How many members does the group have meanwhile?"

"According to Hōka’s research, they currently have about 12,000 members."

Hiruzen was silent for a moment. That was significantly more than Konoha had inhabitants. Yorokobi was a city of millions. "Is Iwa involved?"

"For the past hundred years, Iwa and the Yamaguji Group have tolerated each other and probably traded, but we have never found proof of that," Inoichi said.

"Iwa certainly was involved with the group during the time of assassinations a few years ago," Chouza added and Hiruzen nodded. A few of those assignments had also gone over his desk. Team Ro. With Kakashi as team captain. It was not until afterwards that it had become known who was responsible for these orders. Several hidden villages – Iwa included - were simultaneously commissioned to eliminate men or women in different countries and thus unconsciously helped the Yamaguji group to get rid of their freshly departed members. No praiseworthy chapter for Konoha’s Intel Department. But gathering information about this cartel proved to be as difficult as infiltrating Ames' borders. For the last three years, only one team had succeeded, among them Hōka.

"According to Hōka’s latest information and the observations of ANBU Team One, it is likely that Iwa is in a kind of cold war with the Yamaguji group. There is more and more evidence of a massive upgrade on both sides. "  


"We definitely need eye’s on the Yamaguji."  


"After they discovered Hōka they will expect that," Inoichi added for consideration.

"We cannot afford to lose sight of the mafia," Hiruzen growled. "Still ... maybe I should have sent another team after her."

"Who did you send, Hiruzen-sama?" Shikaku asked politely. He was always well-informed for being the Hokage’s personal advisor, but he didn’t know about this latest development.

"Team two."

"Kurenai," Inoichi exclaimed.

"There are not many who are suitable for this job," Shikaku mused. " Hōka was perfect for it but was discovered for unknown reasons. Jiraya-sama is still off limits and on his promised journey of inspiration, he has another four months left without Konoha asking him for his services again. Tsunade-sama is too valuable in the hospital, though her passion for gambling qualifies her perfectly. It must be someone who is unknown in this region and has the appropriate skills. Team 3 to 5 are out on mission. So what about team Six ... Hitsuji: Shiranui, Genma. Or his teacher Kōmyō: Najikou Yuwako ... "

"I already lost two Shiranui in this region. I will not send in a third," Hiruzen retorted.

"So it will be Kōmyō then?"

Hiruzen reconsidered his options. Kōmyō wasn’t young anymore, but still an excellent agent in her field. The Yamaguji group had their main business in human trafficking, prostitution and gambling. Added to this were drugs, extortion, money laundering and murder. No one had melted into their ranks as skillfully as Hōka. Her brother had similar skills.

Shikaku sighed. "Maybe you have to send Hitsuji, Hokage-sama."  


"Not if it can be avoided. His identity has become known to unpleasant people."

"Have you already informed the Daimyo about his new friend?", Shikaku alluded to Gosaburo.

Hiruzen nodded. "I have assigned Aoba to report to him. He will leave tomorrow morning. There is another problem ...  
Shikaku! I want you to get in touch with the merchant Gosaburo Tenji. I want to know what he wants to achieve with his information on Genma. Either we are negotiating or this threat needs to be resolved otherwise."

Shikaku nodded. The Hokage had already enlightened him about _that_ incident. 

"Gosaburo has many contacts. He certainly made sure to have several fail-saves in case of his death."

Hiruzen smiled. "We do, too."

"Understood." Then his eyes fell back to the mineral. "About the Sōsu..."

Something about that bothered the old Hokage, even if he could not quite put his finger on it. "What do we know about the fire incident in the southern district fifteen years ago?"

"Almost nothing."

Hiruzen’s eyebrows shot up in astonishment.

"An ANBU was involved, a fire and a merchant. According to ANBU-Ox, the fire was an accident connected to Sōsu. Part of the Shiranui estate was destroyed. That's all I know about it, because ANBU-Ox wanted to handle everything himself."

"Who held the Ox-mask back then?"

"Same as last: Sarutobi Higen. Recently deceased in Kinata. Again my sincerest condolences."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed. "I want to know everything about that incident.  
I want Yuhei Kurenai to be informed about the mine. She and her team are on their way to Yorokobi. Maybe they can find out more about the Sōsu’s source and "Red". Also, if the Yamaguji group is involved. They should exercise extreme caution and take all the time they need. Send Kōmyō after them immediately."

"We'll take care of it," Chozua said with a bow, and with that they were released.

* ~ * ~ *

It really was too hot and stifling in his apartment.

Genma grabbed his lighter and the whiskey bottle and stepped out into the cool night on his balcony, wearing only boxer shorts and a cigarette between his lips. His thoughts circled around the information he found on his sister and tried to put the puzzle pieces together. What a fucked up situation. The Yamaguji group, then. The name he had already overheard at Gosaburo’s place a couple of times. Also the code name "Red". How did that fit together? His sister had spent the last three years in the ranks of the Yamaguji group. As a Nukenin. He had known her mission was dangerous, but _that..._ Somehow her cover had been blown and her ANBU-team hadn't been able to get her out. Only one had barely managed to escape and brought back the information. Meanwhile, his sister had been caught by Gosaburo's men and brought back to the Yamaguji.

The journey to the Land of Bears was long and dangerous, and he was stuck here in Konoha, wasting his time.

Lost in thought, he tried to light his cigarette with the almost empty lighter. There was no way he could possibly sleep now. The night was still young, it had to be around 9pm.  
The lighter snapped uselessly a few times. Enraged, Genma threw it into the corner of his small balcony.

The flash up and sudden appearance of a hand in front of his face terrified Genma only a little, as he had felt Kakashi's chakra signature flare up a moment before. He groaned in annoyance, but then he accepted the offer again and lit his cigarette on the other’s finger.

"If I wouldn't know any better I'd say you're stalking me, Hatake Kakashi."

The copy-nin was currently hanging upside down the balcony roof and rubbed the back of the head with an insane giggle. "Ma, ma, Genma-san. I only saw a fellow shinobi in need, so I couldn’t help myself. "

Genma grinned crookedly and played indifferent, noticing Kakashi's lewd gaze traveling along his body ...and enjoyed it. But his heart beat a little faster. "You _are_ following me."

"No, no. I just saw you on my way home, exiting Records all super cool and sneaky, emitting all these super ninja stealth vibes. That got my interest." He had been released early from his guard duty today after the famous Ino-Shika-Chou team had returned from their mission and the Hokage wanted to hold a super-secret "Military Council " with them.

"Ask the reception at Records. I wasn’t there."

"You did not have to, Genma-san," Kakashi sang. "I ... I didn’t know you could do the Hiraishin on your own to break into Records so super quickly and quietly."

Genma grimaced. "The Fourth used to sent Raidou or me there often when he wanted to re-read something. To save time, he left a seal in the Records Room. It was Raidou's idea to leave a seal of our own right outside, in case we’d have to do some… research on our own without being seen."

Kakashi smirked. "Raidou-san would never do something like that without permission. It was you, no need to deny it." After noting Genma's scowl he nodded impressed. "Good thing we are friends. A friend with such abilities ... You've withheld that talent from me so far."

Genma leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his bare chest. Kakashi's watchful eye followed his every movement, appreciative of the way the Tokoju's muscles flexed, and let his mind wonder what Genma needed to play with his own nipples now. The sound of said man's smooth baritone draw his attention off of Genma's chest to his lips... Also nice.. "When doing it alone-" Kakashi gasped involuntarily "-I can only jump a very small distance. We are talking about meters here. Just... don’t say anything about tonight and I'll find something out for you when you need it."

"Deal."

Kakashi lowered himself from the balcony roof, which made him stand directly in front of Genma. Surprised by the sudden closeness, the Tokujou let his arms fall to the side and froze. Talking of crossing borders...

Neither of them spoke. Neither looked away. Genma's breathing quickened as Kakashi leaned in closer, and he understood the other’s intention. The gray ANBU vest ghosted against his nipples and Kakashi inhaled the scent of Genma's hair. The brown-haired man swallowed, mouth suddenly gone dry. He suddenly realized very clearly how little he was wearing.

Then he felt the other's hand gently draining the bottle of alcohol from his fingers. "No need to drink alone tonight, Genma-san."

With that said, Kakashi invited himself into Genma's apartment and, judging by the noise, put the bottle on the kitchen counter.

Genma was standing on the balcony, frozen to the spot. His heart was racing, his breathing fast. That had just been so... hot. And unexpected. He leaned his head back, a bit stunned, both hands pressed to his forehead, calming his breath. "Damn you, Kakashi," he cursed.

There was a chuckle from inside, and then the shock of silver hair appeared again in the open balcony door. He nodded enthusiastically. "You shouldn’t let this astral body of yours stunt at home, but dress up and visit the bar with the others tonight. Show it off a little."

Genma let out a breath. "I'm not in the mood today."

It takes a shinobi to know a shinobi. The jounin smiled knowingly: "Because you'd rather try out your new presents alone?" Well .... Rather it takes a pervert to know a pervert, Genma corrected himself.  
Suddenly outraged, Genma poked Kakashi’s west. "Baka. Besides ... " he let his voice drop deeper and rougher - because two could play this game, "who knows if your poor, poor soul would be able to handle the truth about the whereabouts of that kinky, little toy that …isn’t in that black pouch anymore..."

A spontaneous nosebleed threw Kakashi onto his backside and Genma grinned. Imagination ... That was sometimes better than everything else. And playing with Kakashi's imagination was ... almost too easy. Triumphantly he went to the other like a predator to his prey, absorbed in his role.  
As if in slow motion, he opened his lips to a smile, the brown hot eyes trailing over the body of the copy ninja in a reflection of his previous action and as a small revenge on the ANBU training fight this morning. With relish and so, so much time, he straddled the baffled jounin’s lap and leaned in, one hand resting on Kakashi's chest, pelvis pushing back down to apply pressure in just the right places, and now it was Genma whispering into Kakashi's ear. His fingertips slid with just the right amount of chakra down Kakashi's chest - he would definitely feel that through the vest.

“But if you promise to behave and ask kindly, then maybe I'll let you see..."  
Now Genma was very sure to feel a hardness against his ass that wasn't just muscular thighs, with only the thin fabric of his boxers and the loose ANBU trousers between them. The other was hard as a rock. He had always suspected that Kakashi inwardly loved to give up control. Surprisingly having the incredibly hot but super perverted jounin underneath his fingers was... more than hot... It was breathtaking. Intoxicating.

And Genma loved to be in control sometimes. Small sadist that he was, the tokujou slowly, slowly got up, reached for the bottle of alcohol next to the sink and took a sip of it. Kakashi's hot eye closely followed the bobbing of his Adam's apple. Genma made sure that the moonlight fell perfectly on him for that. With the tip of his tongue, he licked a drop of alcohol from the corner of his mouth, Senbon clacking very softly against his teeth. Then he pointed the bottle at the silver-haired man, deciding to try his unexpected luck a little more. "So, about drinking alone tonight ...?"

This time, the face mask did not help in the least - Kakashi's entire head was deep red. He babbled something incomprehensible, panting and aroused, and Genma felt proud to have one of the most powerful and lethal jounin in Konoha's history at his mercy. Someone, who was at a normal day not even close to his bed…, A promising start for the evening,... when suddenly Aoba landed on the balcony, knocking on the door and entering the apartment at the same time. "Genma, how ... -" He stopped in surprise when he almost stepped on Kakashi. "What is Kakashi-senpai doing on your floor? Is that blood?"

Kakashi instantly sat up in a graceful cross-legged position - had Genma just observed a quick Henge there? -and wiped his mask.

Aoba combined lightning fast and as accurate as always. "You hit him, Genma?"

Genma laughed. "Yeah. Exactly."

Outraged, Aoba offered his hand to the copy-nin, who, with a sheepish grin, let himself be pulled up. But in midway he changed direction suddenly and as if by chance, to sit on the kitchen chair, crossing his legs with serene emphasis. "It was just a small test," he explained.

Aoba looked puzzled from one to the other. "A ...test?", he asked doubtfully.

Genma’s smug grin was too big for his own good, Kakashi thought displeased.

“And? Did he pass?”

The grin widened farther. "Did I, Kakashi-_senpai_?"

The copy-nin stopped himself from answering at the last moment, and before the ego of the Tokujou could blow up the apartment, he quickly changed the subject. "You wanted something, Aoba?"

That seemed to remind the black-haired man of his original mission. "Shuriken bar. In 10 minutes. Did Kakashi already tell you about it, Genma? I have to go on messenger mission tomorrow and Anko and Ibiki are also leaving soon. Could be one of the last evenings together in the near future. Apparently, organized crime has become more active in several countries and that means a lot of work in the next months. So bar-night it is. Are you in?"

Genma sighed softly. "Give me some minutes. I'll just grab some clothes."

"Oh you - you don’t have to...," Kakashi hurried to say. "Or wear that special kimono."

Aoba frowned in surprise, then looked from one to the other, brain cells working double shifts behind black sunglasses. Then he shook his head decisively. "I don't want to know.  
Will you keep your uniform on for the evening, Kakashi? "

He shrugged. "Who knows."

"I'll lend you something," Genma already made his way to his bedroom.

Kakashi sighed in resignation.

Aoba nodded happily and turned to the door. "See you then." He jumped out of the apartment.

Kakashi got up and followed Genma.

"Just found something that will fit you, Hatake."

"Don’t tell me it's that blue kimono ..."

"How did you know?"

*~*~*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hōka = fire devil  
Kōmyō = cunning, smart  
Hitsuji = sheep  
Sosu = Source


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always been wondering, why there weren't many music instruments in the Naruto-series. The soundtrack is full of wonderful traditional instruments and it is known that some kunoichi used to play musicians as a disguise. I don't know how to play a Koto but I love this instrument. I used the Sakura-Song played on a Koto I found at YouTube in this chapter. I love this instrumental version of the song. And I loved the moments in movies where someone suddenly plays a beautiful tune on a shamisen or any other instrument. So I simply had to write something like that myself.

“Well, what do we have there. Two magnets of unresolved sexual tension crossing the street together at twelve o'clock.”

“Care to explain?”

“Well, the left one with that blue kimono that is practically screaming hug-me-really-tightly is simply hypoglycemic. Lonely. Sporadically depressed. And, when that happens: totally covered in dog slobber. But also one of the finest shinobi I've ever met. And probably one of the most undersexed, if you ask me, too. He can’t help it: he is like a magnet of unresolved sexual tension.”

“You might be right there, even though I can’t verify or comprehend much of it, but hardly anyone can disagree with the words of a woman in such matters. So… I would say that the right one, on the other hand, is in urgent need of a noble partner, stability and security.”

“Who would have thought you could be so profound, Gai. Yeah. You can have too much of something without actually having it. To compensate he has a tendency to collect broken things to not feel too broken himself. Or he’s just trying to seduce everyone because he is totally addicted to sex.“

“… You learned that from Ibiki?”

"I'm just brilliant myself, thank you. But this one was easy. You can also see it in the style of clothing. Blue kimono and gray plain yukata: Willing, but in an unconscious way. Practically screaming: hug me and give me a popsicle. Both of them."

„I understand… "

„Like yours is practically screaming: I am the world’s best taijutsu fighter.”

“Is it? I… didn’t know you could tell so much about someone by just looking at their clothes… Maybe I should change my outfit?“

„Don’t,“ Anko was beaming, „it suits you.”

“And those two?“

„That still has to be decided…”

Kakashi and Genma reached Anko and Gai, who were already waiting in the bar. Aoba just arrived with a tray of drinks. 

"What are you talking about?", Kakashi asked seemingly disinterested and tugged the treacherous kimono back over his shoulder. Luckily he wore a black shirt underneath. Why was it so loose around the shoulders? A kimono normally shouldn't do that.

Anko's grin became devilish and her hands fluttered dramatically. "Oh, nothing, nothing important. Just little observations, ideas, fantasies, possibilities… "

Genma raised one eyebrow, then two fingers, to reorder the bartender.

"I like your new choice of clothes, Kakashi," Anko purred and tugged at the hem. Before her crawling fingers found their way to his chest, Kakashi grabbed her hand and shook his head smugly.  


"Can’t a girl enjoy the small pleasures of life?"

"One-sided joy, Anko," Aoba interjected, putting down the tray. "Something called annoyance."

"You're just jealous."

"Sure."

Tenzou joined them limping. His leg was almost completely healed. A moment later, Shizune, Ibiki and Raidou arrived.

They sat down at the table and as Kakashi slipped into the seat beside Genma, Anko briefly winked at Gai. He answered with a raised thumb and toothpaste smile.

Kakashi sweat-dropped, but allowed himself a quick glance at Genma. He didn't have his bandana on and wore his hair in a high, slightly messy ponytail. That hairstyle Kakashi liked most. It had something elegantly daring with a tiny breeze of chaos and eroticism. Since Genma was usually calm and collected, these evening moments of relaxation were a welcome change. However ... Aoba had clearly dropped by too early. What If he wouldn’t have come at all? How else would the evening have developed? There had always been a degree of sexual tension between the Senbon ninja and him in recent years - but that wasn't unusual with Genma, since this was practically his business. Kakashi was never sure if he was using his learned seduction skills for fun or if he was serious. He couldn’t be sure about this evening either. There had only been one thing he was sure about: that Genma would have spent this night with him.

Well, actually, he had always imagined that when something happened between them it would be in a heavy thunderstorm, and they would be horny like teenagers, limbs entangled, wallowing around, hot kisses, cut off from the outside world and sweaty, hidden somewhere in the woods…

"Kakashi?"

He blinked.

"I'm talking to you!", Aoba apparently repeated and Anko smirked.

"Hm? Did you say something? ", Kakashi replied and Aoba angrily called out something that made everyone else laugh, but Kakashi had already stopped listening again.

"Stop ignoring me on purpose!"

"Oh, I'm sure he couldn’t help it," Anko interjected ambiguously, and Aoba grimaced in exasperation.  
"Tell me, why are we friends again?"

"Because you have no one else?"

"I love you, too, woman."

The next moment Aoba screeched like a girl when a snake wiggled itself around his left food and upwards his leg.

"I know…"

Kakashi stole another glance at Genma. So ... was it honesty or just convenience between them? An interesting mystery.

Raidou leaned in to Genma, whispering, but Kakashi's fine ears could depict the words: "I hope you know what you’re doing."

"When did I ever?", Genma shrugged his shoulders in amusement. Next thing Kakashi knew was Genma's hand on his thigh, and he jumped in surprise, knocking his knees against the desk. The glasses nearly toppled over and while Aoba complained vocally, Kakashi felt Ibiki’s intense gaze on him. Well, who cared about being inconspicuous in a village full of trained shinobi. 

Tenzou sighed and started to rub his thigh. Shizune noticed his discomfort immediately.

“Is your leg hurting again, Tenzou?”

“It’s just a little uptight. Tends to do that when I don’t move it for a while.”

“Let me help you a little,” Shizune said, “I can show you how to massage it so it will heal faster.”

Thankfully, he let Tsunade’s apprentice put her hands on his thighs, noticing a little too late, how that must look to the others at the table. Aoba looked a little red around his nose, but that might have also been because Anko just decided to let her snake climb up a little too high.

“Tsunade-sama and me had to handle these kinds of injuries a lot in the last months,” Shizune continued.

Kakashi frowned. “What do you mean?”

The kunoichi jumped, having just realized that she had been babbling about classified intel. “I… Just -be careful on the field, okay? Someone is spreading drugs for shinobi and civilians, drugs that enhances ones abilities.”

“Really?”, Tenzou asked. „My leg was wound by something like a ray of orange chakra. Cut through my muscles like a kunai through water.”

Shizune bit her lips. “Yes. That, too.“

Kakashi frowned. That was new. The thing in Kinata had used some sort of chakra enhancer? He exchanged a look with Tenzou.

“Maybe it was the black ring that thing was wearing?” Tenzou continued.

Kakashi blinked. In the heat of the battle he hadn’t noticed a ring on that claws. 

“A ring and orange light?”, Genma asked oddly.

“Did you come across something like that while working for Gosaburou?”

“No…,” Genma said, and Kakashi could tell the other was trying to remember something but couldn’t quite put the finger on it.

The lights dimmed and Shizune whooped happily. “Oh, wonderful, there’s music tonight.”

Everyone’s attention was drawn to the little stage, which lay completely in darkness. Then the delicate and characteristic sound of a Koto sounded. Tremolo created an atmosphere, over which the plucked notes of a prelude were softly embedded.

Kakashi noticed Genma relaxing instantly.

The conversations inside the bar died down. 

After the introduction had faded, the light grew brighter and, dressed in a beautiful red kimono, sat a woman with long black hair, her face heavily but elegantly made-up, her long fingers moving confidently and gracefully over the long sides of the musical instrument, playing an old folk song about the cherry blossom. Deep and full of melancholy, the sound of the music piece carried through the shady corners of the bar.

Kakashi felt Genma's hand slipping from his thigh, lost in thought, and quickly let his hand entwine with the other's fingers to gently hold them there. Genma shot him a glance, but Kakashi pretended to be too moved by the Koto's play to notice. So the Senbon ninja turned his attention back to the stage, but he was smiling.

With a charisma that had already brought princes to their knees, Najikou Yuwako, ANBU call sign Kōmyō, played mesmerizing sounds. Shizune's breath had sped up and at some point Ibiki wordlessly handed her a tissue.

When the music ended, the captivated audience gave Konoha's Master of Seduction a reasonably stormy applause, and gracefully as no one else could, the lady rose, took out a beautiful fan and bowed.

Then her eyes met Kakashi’s over the fan, and the copy-nin held his breath. Her eyes slid over his kimono and finally to Genma.

Talking about being sneaky in a ninja village again ....

She left the stage and approached the group. An elegant arm wrapped around Genma's shoulder, and she kissed him on the cheek with her red-painted lips. Kakashi tensed a bit near the lady, and she gave him a wink. "Did you practice your play on the shamisen, Genma-kun?"

"Hai, sensei."

"Well. It would have been nice if we had played a duet today."

Genma's senbon slid to the other side of his mouth. "In comparison to your expressiveness my music fades. A comparison in public would shame me forever in front of my friends."

Najikou pinched his cheek. "Nonsense."

Aoba immediately jumped on that and teased Genma to play something, too. Good thing, he left his shamisen at his flat - hanging on the wall and miserably out of tune.

"We never get to hear you."

"It's okay," Raidou interjected. "I listened a few times, it had nothing to do with music."

"That's called technical exercise, Raidou. That's rarely music."

"Have you ever even played anything in public?", Aoba asked.

"On two or three missions ...", Genma hinted and Kakashi then completely let himself get carried away with mental images of Genma in that kimono as he played in front of completely ecstatic, crying targets, face concentrated, arm muscles flexing, fingers expertly flying over the fretboard, the kimono a bit too far open to be discreet... Nice ...

Najikou had meanwhile gone to Anko and the two exchanged whispered words.

Genma's teacher was a beautiful and dangerous woman with strong sadistic tendencies and a remarkable blood-lust, and no one had been surprised when she had dropped in a completely anti-climatic embedded clause that she was Anko's mother. The surname Anko had taken over from her father.

When Anko talked to her divorced mother, it usually sounded like a conversation between rivals, often overcooled, but when Anko's favorite song "Sakura" was played, she could become surprisingly sentimental. The two said their goodbyes.

Kakashi understood. Another shinobi was sent on a mission. His fine ears had picked up the words "Land of the Bears" and "indefinite duration." That was Kurenai's mission ...

Shizune also got a final treatment. Obviously, Kōmyō liked it when her music moved someone to tears. "Keep this way of enjoying music, little one." With an elegant finger she wiped a tear from the corner of Shizune's eye and kissed it better.

The young medic almost melted on the spot. Ibiki's smile gave away that he visibly enjoyed the cute scene.

When the lady left the bar with a last look out of her black eyes and a blown kiss to Anko, all conversations in the bar stayed rather muted.

"What's going on?" Raidou asked with his unerring sense for moods.

"Rumors say there's something smoldering about the mafia and Iwa."

"That's not what he meant, Aoba. The reason for the subdued mood is seated over there." Kakashi jerked his chin over his shoulder.

In the back corner of the bar sat one of the most famous trios of Konoha: Ino-Shika-Cho. The three elite jounin, one of them even Hiruzen’s right hand, were chatting with muted voices. Raidou hadn’t realized their presence earlier. "Did they come with Kōmyō-san?"

"Looks like a war council. What is it about?"

Genma shrugged his shoulders, but Aoba readily responded: "Kakashi just told me, it is something about a Hōka and-" Raidou kicked his foot. "Just because Kakashi has good ears, doesn’t mean you have to yell secret information through a bar, Aoba."  


Ashamed, he collapsed in his chair. "I did it again."

Anko pinched his cheek good-natured. "Little Aoba was unable to shut up again, ay, ay."

Annoyed, he wiped her hand away and a verbal battle broke out between the two, followed by most of the others grinning.

Raidou sighed. If he hadn't yet felt watched by Ino-Shika-Chou, they sure held their attention now. A quick glance to the side, and he saw all three pairs of eyes on him. He swore silently and quickly focused back on his friends, but the atmosphere had become visibly tense. As the evening seemed already to end inexorably, he could as well get it over with. At the mentioning of Hōka’s name, Genma had broadcasted a sudden killing intent at the oblivious Aoba. A few other shinobi now looked in their direction, ticked of by that.  
"Genma? Do you have a moment? "

"Is there any important reason?"

"Yes. In private, please."

"Why is it that everyone wants something from me today? Does it have to be now?"

Raidou nodded. So they left the bar and went into the little badly lit side street.

Genma leaned against the wall and tried to light a cigarette cumbersomely.

"When will you get a decent lighter, Genma?"

Raidou handed him his matches. "I’m sure you don’t want to talk about lung cancer. So? What is?"

Raidou sighed and crossed his arms over his broad chest. "I want to prevent you from doing something stupid. But ... it's probably too late for that."

Genma's eyebrows dropped, his senbon clank against his teeth, but he stayed silent.

"Whatever Hōka got into it, Kurenai's mission is dangerous. Besides, I think they just sent Kōmyō after her. You should stay down and stop your research."

"If that's all, I’d like to go back inside."

"No. Genma. That's not all. I assume that you already went to the records room.

I interpret your silence as yes."

Genma pressed his cigarette against the wall with an indignant movement and pushed away from it to return to the others. Raidous's voice became worried and urgent. "Genma, Kurenai submitted her will before the mission."

That made the other pause.

"Don’t go there. Not you, too. The Hokage also prohibited it!"

"And made you my babysitter?" Genma bit back, his back still turned to his friend. "Tell the others, I'm done for tonight." A hand sign, and he disappeared with a flicker.

Raidou cursed and ran his fingers through his short hair. "Damn it."

A shadow darted out of the bar entrance and followed Genma. Raidou blinked in surprise. 

"Chouza-sama? What the... Fuck." Alarmed, Raidou looked after at the two of them, then he resignedly went back into the bar.

Around the corner, Kakashi was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He had overheard the conversation. Again the name Hōka. And somehow also Ino-Shika-Cho. He would have to ask Tenzou and Raidou. Ino-Shika-Chou probably had their own agenda. 

Something was wrong here, and Kakashi wanted to know what. And if Genma was in any sort of danger, then all the more.


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are calculations in the internet about how many missions Kakashi, Genma and some others had done in how many days, based on the data books. The conclusion was: a new mission about every second day. With the Flying Thunder Technique, guard duty and other missions that could be repeated without much effort, but I also think it's possible that they sometimes were doing more than one assignment at a time. Just my thoughts.

Raidou was sitting in a lotus position on the veranda of the Namiashi house. His eyes were closed, facial expression totally relaxed. In front of him stood a waiting and steaming cup of tea.

“Yo, Raidou-san. Meditating over the correct blend of tea herbs again?” Kakashi asked. He knew the other already noticed his appearance and the lack of surprise when Raidou wasn’t startled by the sound of his voice confirmed that thought. 

“You are back early, Kakashi-san,” Raidou muttered without opening his eyes. Kakashi took that as an invitation to sit down opposite the other, imitating the lotus position, inhaling the smell of the tea and feeling warmth and relaxation spreading almost instantly. Was that rosemary among nutshell and green tea? He would have to ask which herbs the other used. Later.

“Genma cut our mission short.” In his mind he let the memory replay. Gyobue (as a substitute till Tenzou’s full recovery), Genma and him were sent to eliminate a bandit chief that had mugged several villages at Konoha’s borders. He was suspected to have a dangerous doujutsu, so Konoha sent a team of ANBU. The second their target appeared, Genma had spit a poisonous senbon into the other’s eye, immediately disabling the threat. So it had taken Kakashi’s team three days to reach the borders and find the guy, one second for Genma to kill him, and about three days to return to Konoha. That had been a welcome change, though Gyobue had been complaining nonstop about the lack of action. For a brief moment he wondered if every mission with the Tokujou would go as smoothly.

“I take it, the mission was a success?” Raidou asked.

“Yes.”

“Then say what you came here for, Kakashi. I suspect it is about Genma or do you really want to talk about tea?”

The silver haired ninja grinned. “Talking about tea is always an interesting topic. But today I am indeed interested in some information about Genma.”

“He is my best friend. If you expect me to speak ill of him we better talk about tea.”

“No. That’s not what I am here for. I have just been wondering… if you could tell me who the person behind call sign Hōka is.”

That made Raidou open one eye. “Eavesdropping on your friends isn’t nice, Kakashi-san.”

The copy-nin silently waited for the other to continue instead of confirming what the Raidou already knew.

The scarred shinobi sighed, taking a more comfortable position on the veranda. “If you suspect Genma is in danger, then I sincerely have to answer: I don't know. And I can’t tell you about Hōka. It’s classified ANBU-stuff. Besides that: ask Genma, not me.”

That confirmed Kakashi’s theory of the name being an ANBU-call-sign. But he knew better than to thank the other for that info, as small as it was. Raidou wouldn’t tell him more. “I did. He didn’t want to speak about it. And he was very clear about that.” He absently scratched his ear, where a senbon had nicked his super tender flesh.

“I don’t blame him. If he doesn’t want to talk about it, nothing will change that. You’ll have to find other ways.”

“Okay. So what did Chouza-sama want from him?”

Raidou lifted a surprised eyebrow. 

“I’m sure you already asked Genma about it so you might tell me just as well …” Kakashi nodded enthusiastically.

Raidou put on a serious look but answered indeed. “Chouza-sama asked Genma what he remembered about the fire incident in the south-quarters fifteen years ago.”

Kakashi blinked in surprise. He hadn’t even known something like that had happened. Maybe he hadn’t been in the village at the time.

“In that night, Genma’s …sister burned down half of the Shiranui estate.”

“Why would Chouza-sama ask about that night now?”

Raidou shrugged his shoulders. “I have no idea.” He sipped his tea and enjoyed the wonderful taste for a moment. When he looked up again, Kakashi was gone. “And why would you ask about everything now?” he asked calmly, but the answer was silence.

Steps could be heard and a few heartbeats later Genma turned around the corner of the house to step on the veranda. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Raidou replied, eyeing the surroundings, but the copy-nin had fled. “Care to join?”

Genma grinned, pointing at his comfortable black yukata with the green herbs at the front. “That’s what I came for.”

Raidou smiled, too. He wore the same yukata. His mom could be really persuasive. Since Genma’s mom had died and especially when Genma’s dad started suffering from dementia she had downright adopted the Shiranui. The moment she came up with the idea to call them “her fraternal twins” she also started to make them similar clothes. That had been a worrying moment for Raidou, as they were already adults, but Genma had just smiled and said: “We are already wearing the same uniform. So why not.” He had ever since accepted every odd looking gift she gave him and Raidou’s mom loved him for that. 

“Tea first. It’s perfect now.”

So Genma went inside and helped himself with another cup of tea before sitting down next to his best friend. He looked at the neatly raked rock garden in front of the veranda.

“My dad was here today?”

Raidou nodded. “Yeah. Mom asked him to look after the garden again. No one is as fastidious at raking our stone garden as your dad.”

“Except you,” Genma teased. Then he visibly relaxed. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” 

“I miss you as my mission partner,” Genma mused, suddenly changing the subject, “Assassination hasn’t been the same without you.”

Raidou frowned. “You know I don’t like it when you are speaking disrespectfully of the dead.”

“Yeah. Sorry. My moral compass is inaccurate without you constantly bringing it into line. When will you call off your voluntary suspension from ANBU and come back?”

“Gyobue’s still unnerving, huh? I… Actually I want to quit permanently.”

Genma deeply inhaled the aroma of the tea, smiling sadly. “I thought so…”

“I’m starting to feel too old for these missions.”

“You are 26.”

“I’d like to… go for a change and do missions in broad daylight, spend more time with Jikyū, now that she moved in, and… Hokage-sama asked me to proctor the finals of the chuunin exams this year.”

“That’s awesome, man! I’m proud of you.”

Raidou smiled, scratching the back of his head. “Yeah…”

“Okay, you leave me no choice. I’ll wait for the right occasion and quit ANBU, too. For now, it’s… interesting.”

“Interesting, huh?”

“Yeah. Interesting.”

Genma’s cheeks turned a tiny bit red under Raidou’s knowing gaze, but the other knew better than to press him. 

“So… you used the senbon-into-the-eye-thing to make things uncomplicated on your mission?”

“You know me so well, my friend.”

“I guess, Gyobue was annoyed?”

“Very. He totally exaggerated in threatening the rest of the bandits.”

“So they’ll come back and continue their mugging with a new boss?”

“Absolutely. Maybe the Hokage’ll send you next time. In broad daylight.” 

Raidou snorted. “I’m just glad you're back safe. You done with your tea?”

“I smelled rosemary in it. Does your mom know?”

“Just don’t tell her, okay?”

“Of course I won’t. You know I’m good with secrets. And it’s perfect like that.”

“I agree. But she wouldn’t understand. Ready for some meditation?”

Genma looked at the beautiful and peaceful stone garden in front of them, feeling comfort in Raidou’s calm chakra next to him, like an anchor. “Always.”

~*~*~*

Kakashi neatly dodged Gais fast kick, swirling underneath the other to try to ram his elbow into his back. But the blackhaired taijutsu-master flipped over him with a blazingly fast summersault, grasping Kakashi’s arm with both hands, letting the attack come to nothing.

Slightly panting both opponents took a moment to simply look at each other.

Gai flashed his teeth. „My eternal rival, you are fighting especially vigilant today.“

Kakashis visible eye closed happily.

And because Gai wasn’t someone to linger, he took the smile as a signal to continue their sparring. Kakashi hurried to block the fast and powerful kick without breaking his arm.

Half an hour later, they sat down to hungrily wolf down their lunch boxes.

“The Hokage transferred Genma to my team,” Kakashi said eventually, “and I’m teamcaptain again.”

Gai flashed his teeth at him before continuing to chew on his vegetables.

“You were on his genin team. Any fancy jutsu or story I should know about?”

Gai considered the question. „Nothing you don’t know already, my rival, I’m sure.”

“Not even some sort of secret kekkei-genkai of lasciviousness or so?”

“... ... ...No. Nothing. And about…. the lascivious-thing: he learned everything from Kōmyō-sensei. Though she always emphasized he was a natural and that’s why she chose him as an apprentice. But I never accompanied him on these ...missions, so I don’t really know… Something on your mind, my friend?”

“Maybe. Do you know anything about the fire in the Shiranui estate fifteen years ago?“

“There’d been a fire?”

Kakashi sighed and stored this away as another piece of the puzzle in the back of his mind.

“Genma is an enjoyable companion.”

“Yes,” Kakashi answered automatically, still thinking about the mysteries surrounding the Tokuju.

"And you think he is lascivious."

"Yes." When he turned his attention back to Gai, he recoiled in surprise.

His friend was beaming brighter than the sun. „There is beauty in that, Kakashi. Keep exploring that path and smell the spring.“

“Wha…?” An unexpected excurse into prosa?

But Gai already changed the topic, practically bursting with new energy. „How about a race to the Forest of Death? But we are only allowed to use one hand and one leg.“

Kakashi blinked. Through all his dark childhood, through every loss, Gai had been there like a beacon for him. Gai was his light. His absolutely strange light.

~*~*~

The following training sessions with Tenzou and Genma were tough but interesting. Kakashi enjoyed crawling alongside Genma in the mud of the obstacle course or crossing the obstacles with each other’s help, or scare the Tokujou half to death when they were practicing camouflage in the forest and Kakashi made himself look like a tree trunk. 

He always turned a nice tone of red on the cheeks. That had been a constant teaser between them even Tenzou had joined.

Kakashi enjoyed sending the specialjounin onto the mats during workouts, giving him a chance to secretely fondle his muscles. But he especially admired his accuracy with the senbon. 

Meanwhile, Genma hardly ever sucked lollipops any more (especially after a suggestive comment from Anko), instead he wore a senbon constantly in his mouth. Which of them was healthier for the teeth would remain an eternal mystery, but the Tokujou's teeth were still magically white and immaculate, as every smile revealed.

Then Genma was sent on a solo mission for a few days. Afterwards their next team mission arrived.

Tenzou and Genma were already waiting for him at the Hokage's office, because who would Kakashi be if he wasn't a little late? 

Genma awkwardly grinned at him from behind his Hitusji mask, undoubtedly lost in memories of the last embarrassing conversation in this room. Surprisingly, Raidou and Iwashi were also standing behind him.

After a brief welcome Hiruzen came straight to the point and held up a photo. "Has any of you ever heard of this mineral?"

"Is that some sort of special stone?" Genma asked and Tenzou snorted contemptuously.

"Minerals aren’t stones."

"Isn’t every rock a mineral?" Genma tried again.

"A mineral, unlike a stone, is made up of just one element, or just one chemical compound," Kakashi explained calmly, and his team members stared at him.

Hiruzen nodded, smiling contently. "Exactly."

"I'm not an expert," Genma deadpanned at this obvious lie, "but that could be the photo of the Ichnusait. The rarest mineral of the earth. The only sample of it."

"Freak", the Tokojou whispered at his captain.

"And you love it," he whispered back and was supsrised to spot the caught impression behind the other's sheep-mask. Then he straightened and turned back to the Hokage. "The sample has been lost since the great robbery of the Daimyo’s Summer Residence two years ago."

Hiruzen nodded affirmatively. "That's mostly correct."

"Mostly?" Kakashi asked in surprise. "It reappeared?"

"We received information, that it is to be offered for sale in the Land of Rice Fields in two weeks."

"The Daimyo wants his mineral back?" Tenzou asked cautiously.

"Either by stealing or by buying."

"It has to cost a fortune."

"More than that. It's priceless."

Kakashi swallowed. "How many enemy shinobi do we have to expect?"

"Probably everyone. Anyone who can afford it will send shinobi to steal the mineral."

"So we have to be the first?", Genma concluded.

Hiruzen nodded. "You will travel to the Land of Rice Fields via the Flying Thundergod Technique. According to our informant "- here he briefly glanced at Genma and Kakashi felt a tightening in his chest-" the mineral is currently being guarded at Hirosaki Castle near Otsuyama."

This explained Raidou’s and Iwashi's presence. And Genma’s mission the last days. He must have visited Gosaburou again.

"Besides, you will return with that technique, too. You should be back in some hours."

The Hokage pointed to a tiny chest on his desk. At the most a ring would fit in there.  
"This is the counterfeit the Daimyo had made immediately as soon as he had the original in his possession. This forgery was issued for years, while the original mineral was stored in a well-guarded safe. Until it was stolen.

You will exchange the minerals before the selling."

"How do we know it's the original and if someone hadn’t come up with this idea before?", Genma asked.

Hiruzen nodded into Kakashi's direction. "You will have your own expert."

Genma snorted. "Who would have thought..."

"Everything else you can find in here." 

Kakashi, as team captain, took the mission description and thus they were officially dismissed.

~ * ~ * ~ *

In Otsuyama, the small town on Hiei mountain, stood the small temple in which years ago a seal had already been attached for the Flying Thundergod Technique - by Minato himself. Konoha friendly monks always kept it intact. And so it was already the second time this year that Genma, Raidou and Iwashi transported someone there.

It was the first time for Tenzou to travel this way. Surprised and a little disorientated, he found himself in a dimly lit basement room hundreds of kilometers away from Konoha. For a moment he felt dizzy.

As usual, Kakashi endured the trip composed as ever and Iwashi beamed with pride, as usual, when he was able to transport a famous person. And the copy-nin was famous.

"Iwashi, you stay here with the seal. Find a better place for radio contact and be ready to back us up if needed."

The person in question nodded.

"The rest is with me."

~ * ~ * ~

For skilled shinobi like them the infiltration of the outer ring of the castle was an easy task.

More difficult was the task to locate the mineral without being noticed. They stole uniforms to merge with the night guard units if necessary. In addition, Kakashi had hypnotized two guards with the Sharingan to find out where the mineral was. Both happily confirmed different locations.

So they split up. Kakashi sent Tenzou and Raidou in twos while going with Genma. Side by side, they walked in their uniforms around the temple-like castle, and as soon as they could feel the other guards were out of sight, Genma shimmied on the first canopy of the castle. Kakashi huddled into a shrub and covered Genma’s back before following him as well.

Silently, like a cat, Genma moved across the uneven roof, always in the shadows, climbing up floor after floor to finally reach the lofty gable of the attic.

From below, Kakashi couldn’t make out anything, so after a good look, he also set off for the climb.

The sudden shrieks of countless bats and Genma's stifled outcry sounded through the night.

At the last moment, Kakashi reached out and barely managed to grab Genma by the collar, otherwise he would have fallen down the entire building. He had just helped him find a foothold, when Kakashi had to jump aside.

A shinobi with short, jet-black curls and bright green eyes surrounded by black tattoos was already leaping - with the theft in his hands- from the roof and into the trees.

Cursing, Kakashi and Genma took up chase.

In the meantime, alarms were ringing and lights went on throughout the castle.

Raidou and Tenzou had also become aware of the fugitives and joined the Konoha shinobi.

The thief had rushed north into the forest.

Raidou and Genma were trying to catch up with short-distance Hiraishins, but the other had reached the forest too fast, and they couldn’t risk their unsafe technique there.

"Reinforcements," Kakashi informed as he noticed several chakra signatures beforehand.

A moment later, they could see a relatively big seal on the ground, prepared by six waiting shinobi. The thief landed in their midst and turned to face the Konoha shinobi. The seal clearly lit up his face and Genma almost stumbled.

The attractive smile of Kaitou, Gosaburou’s right hand, was spoiled by a mock salute, holding the mineral in his hand.

The six shinobi pressed their hands to the forest floor and Gosaburo's people disappeared from the forest.

Puzzled, the Konoha shinobi stood there for a moment staring at the emptiness in front of them. Even roots and grass were cut off where the seal had been.

"Who was that?", Tenzou asked.

Genma exhaled darkly. "You- You've got to be kidding me. That ... was our informant. Kaitou. That damned thief! He stole the mineral himself!"

Raidou sighed. "He is doing justice to his name, what? Should we check if the mineral was the original?"

"There's no doubt about that," muttered Genma moodily. "He played us. I guess Gosaburo wants to give the mineral to the Daimyo himself to further ingratiate himself. And he’s now laughing at us. Asshole! So he did take it personal that I was an undercover spy in Kinata."

Tenzou exchanged a quick look with Kakashi.

Behind them, armed riders appeared with torches.

"Retreat," the copy-nin ordered.

Their first joint mission was a failure.

~*~*~*

The next day Hiruzen summoned him to his office.

"Kakashi, I need you to keep an eye on a Konoha shinobi on a mission."

The copy-nin hesitated. Was this about Genma?

"Reitan Hangyakou-Sha is suspected of treason. If he contacts this man during the mission," Hiruzen held up a photo with a name underneath it,"he is to be liquidated even before he sets foot on Konoha's ground again. Understood?"

Kakashi did not show any emotions externally. He loathed what the Hokage was telling him. From the bottom of his heart. 

But he nodded. His reputation was already soiled in this regard.

"Let it look like an accident this time. Since your reputation might alert Reitan and raise questions afterwards, I'll send Tenzou along. His reputation is beyond all doubt among the ANBU. You will use his eyewitness report verifying the death as an accident among the men."

Kakashi clenched his teeth.

"The mission will start in three days. You are dismissed."

~ * ~ * ~ *

Deep in thought Kakashi strolled down the busy and loud streets of Konoha. Wherever he looked, there were a surprising number of children on the road today.

Did Hangyakou-Sha have children? He buried his hands in his pockets, wondering what kind of misstep would be enough to send himself on a mission with someone along to end his life. Who would be sent? Shikaku? Tsume? A Hyuga? Hopefully not Tenzou.

A shadow landed next to him and silently accompanied him. When Kakashi didn’t speak for some more minutes, Tenzou started instead. "Hōka is an ANBU. She seems to have earned the nickname fire devil by setting fire to half of her childhood home as a child - but these are rumors. As far as I know she can’t use the element fire. I don't know about the circumstances, but somehow ANBU-Ox has been involved in that incident fifteen years ago."

Kakashi stopped. They had reached one of the small lakes in Konoha’s park.

"Besides ... she's Genma's elder sister. Shiranui Michirou. She set the Shiranui estate in flames that night. That’s all I could find out."

"That's ...a lot. Thank you, Tenzou."

Kakashi saw the wind brush through the trees, and the gusty rustling of leaves involuntarily reminded him of the sound of the sea.

He processed the new information and Tenzou patiently stayed by his side, looking at the peaceful surface of the lake. The sun started to sink over the horizon and colored the water reddish.

"I saw you were summoned by Hiruzen Sarutobi. Was there a special reason for that?"

Kakashi pondered if he should say it was about the failed mineral retrieval, but then he just shook his head. "No. Nothing special. Nothing new."

* ~ * ~ * ~


	8. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fukiya = blowpipe

It was enough to shift the ceiling board just a little to the side, so Genma could shove the end of his fukiya into the gap. He spit a small pellet into the small oven in the corner of the room underneath, sending it exactly through the lattice and into the fire.

Not even one of the eight men present took notice, too absorbed into playing cards or simply sleeping on the chairs. Apparently, Genma and Raidou had hidden every trace of their chakra perfectly well.

No enemy shinobi noticed the gas slowly spreading from the oven. One after the other they fell asleep.

Raidou and Genma waited for another minute, filter masks in place, before they let themselves down from the ceiling and into the room. Raidou opened one of the two doors to let the sleeping gas escape.

Then he signaled to the other door and Genma examined the seal on it. He shook his head. “Nothing I can open that easily.”

The scarred Tokubetsu let his hand glide along the wall, deep in concentration, feeling with his chakra senses. Then he stopped. “Here.”

Genma took a step back to look as his friend took a run-up and spectacularly kicked a hole into the wall with a backwards-kick Gai would have been proud of. 

A woman shrieked in surprise.

Genma ducked through the hole, straightened again and had to immediately stop a vicious fist just before it connected with his crotch.

The blond woman blinked in surprise. “Who are you?”

“Your mother, lady Yokagawa, sent us,” Raidou explained, looking over Genma’s shoulder at the scared woman. “We are here to rescue you, Saki.”

With distrust clearly written all over her face she slowly took a step back to regard the two masked shinobi. On Raidou’s hitai-ate she could see the leaf symbol. “You two are Konoha shinobi?”

“Yes,” Raidou answered. “Your father’s men are waiting on a clearing nearby.” 

She never let the two men out of her eyes when she went to pick up her Biwa. The instrument had been waiting next to the small mat nearby a boarded up window. “Okay,” she drawled, “I believe you.”

Raidou extended his hand to help her climb through the hole in the wall. 

Slowly she passed the room, eyeing the sleeping shinobi that had kidnapped her, tears coming up. “What do you plan to do with them? They are really strong, and... they killed my friend, when they kidnapped me.”

Raidou put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, gently guiding her out of the room. “Don’t worry about them anymore. You are safe now.” He nodded at Genma over his shoulder, and the Tokuju pulled an explosion tag out of one of his pockets, attached it carefully to something similar to modelling clay and left it at the desk in the middle of the room. Then he followed the others through one of the open windows. 

When they put some distance between them and the small house and reached the forest, Genma turned back, concentrated for a moment and spit a chakra filled senbon.

“Careful, cover your ears, mouth open,” Raidou put his hand on the back of Saki’s head to usher her into cover just before the chakra glowing senbon hit the tag. 

In a huge explosion the small house lit up, every dark memory connected to that place with it. 

Saki looked back, eyes big and overwhelmed with wonder. “I… never thought I’d be free again.” Then she looked up at Raidou. “And I never thought someone could beat those… those… those bastards. Thank you, shinobi, thanks ...”

Raidou smiled warmly at her, and her cheeks turned pink. She started to cry.

Genma grimaced, searching his pants for a handkerchief, but Raidou was faster. 

“You are welcome, young lady.”

They escorted the young Biwa-player back to her family and a heartbreaking reunion unfolded itself on the clearing. Both battle hardened shinobi couldn’t help themselves but smile at the scene. 

“Only their employer left”, Raidou murmured. 

“About that, I might have just the idea.”

Raidou lifted his eyebrow in a premonition of what was to come. “Oh. Really?”

~*~

Every step was silent on the wooden floor. Carefully, the man slid the paper door aside. It was almost completely dark inside the room. But he could dimly make out the silhouette of his blond goddess sleeping on the tatami mat, thickly wrapped in blankets. He exhaled. Finally. Finally, it was only him and her. Finally. Carefully, oh so carefully he stepped inside. 

A hand caught him around the wrist, and next thing he knew, he was pinned face first against the wooden wall, arms painfully twisted behind his back.

“Who are you?” a rough voice asked and the man nearly started crying. Oh no… He had been so close…. So close…

“I’m just a fan! Just a fan!”

“A fan, huh? So what is a fan doing here in the middle of the night? Answer!”

The man winced, when the last word was undermined by a painful tightening of the grip on his arms. “I… I wrote letters. I wanted to meet her. She never answered…”

“And because of that you decided to stalk her, send a bunch of nukenins to kidnap her and when that wasn’t enough, you decided to visit her yourself, entering her hotel room like a thief?”

“I... I…”

“When a woman doesn’t want to answer, that IS your answer, understood?”

“I…”

“Did you understand, what I just told you, scumbag?”

“Yes!”

“Good. If I ever see you near this woman or her family or friends again, if you ever try to listen to her beautiful music again, I will kill you. Is that understood, too?”

“..Y-… Yes”, the men’s knees became weak and the shinobi had to hold him, so he wouldn’t sink to the floor. 

“Never treat a woman like that again. Never! Ever! And now: run!”

The wealthy man screamed, almost unable to follow the order, stumbling over his legs on his way out, where several men and women from the Yokagawa household were already waiting for him, armed with pans and wooden spoons.

The shinobi stayed behind, dark eyes following the guy’s back till he couldn’t see him anymore.

Behind him the woman sat up on her bed, smiling. “So protective of me, Genma-san?”

The shinobi turned around with a smirk. “Don’t take it personally. Kōmyō-sensei’s orders: always defend the rights of a woman if she isn’t able to do it herself.”

The blond woman did a hand seal and the Henge no Jutsu was released to reveal the much more muscular and bulky form of Namiashi Raidou. The specialjounin smiled softly, shedding the blankets. “And here I thought you did that on your own accord.” He stood up. “Let’s go back to our client. I’m sure Saki will be delighted to hear the news about her secret admirer. By the way: next time you’ll do the Henge.”

Genma sighed. “Fine. But noone does Henge's as good as you. I love it when you pose as the old, one-toothed geezer with the crazy hair...” 

"You and your love for freaks."

That mission had been relatively easy. Rescue a kidnapped Biwa-player and protect her on her concert tour through tea country till the threat was eliminated. Raidou had been excited for the opportunity to refill his collection of tea herbs, but Genma knew the Hokage simply wanted to keep Genma busy and away from his sister. 

And that was really bothering him. REALLY bothering him. Also, he would have loved to spend more time with Kakashi. What was the use of having him transferred into Kakashi’s team when most of the time the Hokage sent them on different missions? Of course Hiruzen wouldn’t send Kakashi on a babysitter mission but more likely a dangerous mission, probably something s-rank. With Tenzou along. So there was only one explanation. Their skill were that different that they simply couldn’t be permanent mission partners. Or it was because of the Gosaburo-incident. Damn it. But it had been fun.

His shoulders sagged. That probably meant he’d be sent on seduction missions again in the next time…

Raidou, sensing his mood, put a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s go back. And… ask him for a dinner or something.”

That certainly lightened Genma’s mood. “Or something?”

“Whatever… Just… ask him... something...”

*~*

So the first thing he did after they returned to Konoha, was to look for Kakashi, to ask him something, but Tenzou and him weren’t back yet.

It took another two days before the two ANBU marched through the gates of Konoha. Silently. Surrounded by an aura of death and ... something _else_.

Genma gave them a few hours, then he tried to locate both, but couldn’t. Neither were at home, at the training grounds nor anywhere else he looked.

No one Genma asked saw or heard anything about the two either, not even Shizune, which was probably a good sign.

On the evening of the third day, after he saw Tenzou viciously beating up a fellow ANBU sparring partner, and Genma decided to leave Tenzou to handle things on his own as a precaution and to try his luck at Kakashi's apartment again. To see Tenzou was a good sign, to see him beat up someone wasn't. That made him worry about Kakashi even more.

"Kakashi! I know you're in there. Don’t leave me standing in the rain here, dammit. I’m still on your team!"

It was silent and dark inside. "Kakashi, open the door or ... or I'll give a fuck about orders and go straight to the Land of Bears…"

Still nothing.

"I mean it! Hello?!" He beat at the door again. Then he snorted and made the gesture to sharpen his senses, sending out his chakra to not only discover the traps around doors and windows, but also the flickering of chakra that meant that several living beings were indeed inside the apartment. The chakra felt unstable and like it was burning itself up.

Alarmed, he took his senbon out of his mouth and defused the traps with it, inwardly preparing himself for the worst. "I'm coming in now, Kakashi."

And that's how he found him.

In the dark, because all curtains were drawn.

Enveloped in silence the copy-nin was sitting on the floor in front of his sofa, arms wrapped around his knees, head dropped to his chest. His entire pack of ninken was sprawled protectively around him. Bull growled deeply at his sight.

Genma stopped dead in his tracks. It immediately broke his heart to see a friend like this, and he gulped nervously. It happened to shinobi, he knew that by experience. It happened more often than one would think. It had even happened to Raidou twice. Still… He knew Kakashi had been suffering from depression from time to time in the last years because of his father's death and the deaths of his genin-teammates. But he had never actually _seen_ the other break. It almost made himself want to flee immediately, before the thick darkness of the scene could consume him along.

He stayed where he was, slowly raising his empty hands, frantically overthinking the situation. "Kakashi. It's me. Genma."

The other looked up. Both eyes stared back, one black and one red. The surprise gave way to a sudden blackness and the next thing Genma knew was that he was lying on Kakashi's hallway.

Dazed, he sat up, wincing at the headache. He couldn't have lost consciousness for long. The other one was still sitting at the same spot, staring blankly at him without recognition... without any reaction at all. Bull seemed to have relaxed a bit, but every black eye of the pack was still glued on him.

Genma let his gaze wander and noticed, that even in a breakdown, Kakashi kept his apartment in order. Except for ... himself.

"How long have you been sitting here? Almost… The whole three days? You …probably need to eat and to drink... And… I'll run a bath for you. The usual rituals after a mission: shower, drink, eat, sleep. That’ll do.” 

So he did just that. Pakkun had trotted over to him at some point while Genma pulled open the water tap. "Take this," was all he said, pointing to a certain bath supplement which smelled really pleasant, “makes soft paws.”

The Tokujou grimaced at that but obeyed.

Then he went back to the dangerous ANBU on the floor. “Hound! Get up and follow me!”

As if in trance, Kakashi peeled himself away from his dogs. Genma carefully supported him as he guided him to the bathroom. Surrounded by Kakashi's pack yet again, Genma carefully started removing the totally undamaged ANBU vest bit by bit. There were neither scratches nor blood spatters. He neatly folded everything and put it aside. Gently, his hands brushed Kakashi's black shirt up next. "You can help me a little. Just raise your arms."

And Kakashi did just that.

When the shirt was down to the face mask, Genma tried his luck again. "Turn around in a circle."

Kakashi did as he said, and Genma could see that there were no injuries on his back either.

"Well done. So no hidden injury that would make you suddenly collapse on me, right? Next, I'll help you with the pants. You can do the rest yourself. What do you think, Inu?"

So he carefully opened the waistband. Without a word, Kakashi stepped out of his pants and let a kneeling Genma take off his sandals. As the brown-haired man looked up from this position, burning eyes stared down at him, one black, one red. Genma swallowed, suddenly feeling very vulnerable. Normally he would have killed to be in a position like that with the handsome jounin, but not today. He had to be very careful. What had happened on the mission? It had to be awful to throw a veteran like Kakashi so far off track. If he wasn’t careful, he might end up with his throat slit open. 

Genma got up cautiously and very slowly. They were of the same height and similarly built, though Kakashi’s muscles were leaner than his own. Jounin and specialjounin, almost standing chest to chest. Still, there were worlds between them at the moment. "Can you make the next steps alone, Kakashi?"

No answer. Yielding, Genma sighed, glancing at the steaming bath behind him and Hatake’s pack, Hatake’s FAMILY, surrounding them. He bit his lip and did not quite know what he should do next. He felt like an intruder to Kakashi’s world.

"Step into the bath tub, Kakashi. Can you do that for me? I'll check on you later."

He worked his way through the silent but attentive ninken, could hear soft splashes of water behind him and was about to finally leave the steamy bathroom when a rough and incredibly fragile voice suddenly asked, "Stay..?"

It broke Genma's heart. Never. Never had he heard the other’s voice sound like that. His eyes widened and he turned to see the copy-nin standing in the bathtub, incredibly pale and with hanging shoulders, bare of his face mask, silver hair hanging damply in his face. The boxer shorts he still wore stuck to him like a second skin.

An invisible weight encircled Genma's chest. All pairs of eyes were on him again. Everyone waited for his next step.

Wordlessly, he undressed, too, stepped into the tub behind Kakashi and wrapped his arms around the other like he did in Kinata-harbour - to guide the other in a moment of darkness. He pressed his head against the wet silver hair, hiding his own pained expression, and gently pulled the other down into the hot water.

Plodding paws announced that the whole group of dogs had decided to make themselves comfortable on the floor.

Genma leaned back against the edge of the bath tub and started to gently wash the other’s shoulders, kneading stiff muscles, uttering soothing nonsense. 

Finally Kakashi's icy body leaned back against his chest. Genma slid his arms around the others waist and let his forehead touch the other’s shoulder, husky voice repeating the words his sister used to say to him whenever he felt down: “You are not alone.”

They stayed like that until the water had long since gone cold.

*~*~*  
About an hour later, Genma had put the other into fresh clothes, forced him to drink two glasses of water, eat an apple, and had put him into bed. At some point, he had persuaded the jounin to send his ninken home, so he wouldn’t suddenly die of chakra depletion. At least, that's what he hoped. Just to be sure he forced a chakra-pill in addition to everything.

Genma turned off the bedside lamp and sat on the edge of the bed, unable to leave his friend alone that night, but uncertain why and if he really wanted to know... Words weren’t necessarily his long suit, rather actions. 

Kakashi was laying on his side with his back to him, and Genma's fingers unconsciously began to draw invisible circles on the muscular shoulder with the red ANBU tattoo, feeling the overwhelming urge to be near the jounin and run for it at the same time.

Minutes passed before he heard Kakashi's croaked voice again. "Collateral damage."

"What?"

"It was a collateral damage," he muttered.

Genma closed his eyes. He could guess where the mission went wrong.

"It was ... actually ... It was supposed to look like an accident.” Genma didn’t interrupt. If the other wanted, had to, tell classified intelligence, the secrets would be safe with him. Genma had always been good with secrets. 

“There was a storm. The dam would have broken anyway. ... I let it break in earlier ... when Reitan was still on it. He couldn’t leave. I had stunned him. With a small needle, when I clapped his back."

Genma's heart cramped. The Hokage had sent ‘Reiketsu-no-Kakashi’ on another traitor hunt mission? The bastard!

"Everything would have gone according to plan ... But then _she_ was suddenly there ...  
We noticed her, Tenzou and me, noticed her ... too late because of the storm ... The floods carried them both away… and… The rubble killed them...  
I ... couldn’t pull her out of the water in time... 

She became collateral damage…"

"I'm so sorry."

"She was four years old... and had this little doll in her hands..."

Genma felt like the room was crushing him, the instinct to flee becoming almost unbearable. He felt complicit. He felt awful. Because his own memories threatened to suddenly drown him along, memories of an assassination mission without Raidou some years ago… when he had to carry out an assassination "with absolutely no witnesses" ... when, after the dirty deed, the little son of the landlord had woken up and had stepped into the bedroom without him noticing at first. He had held a small teddy in his hands. Another child in the world that didn’t want to sleep without a cuddly toy...

He didn’t even notice himself silently laying down on the bed next to Kakashi and hugging him. Because he strongly felt the urge to remind himself, that he wasn’t back there… That this time, it hadn’t happened to him. And for that he desperately needed to _feel_ something. Anything within reach.

The other stiffened at the too strong hold of shaky hands. 

"I understand," Genma whispered and felt the other shudder. 

He believed him. 

And slowly, slowly the copy-nin relaxed.

They stayed like this for what must have been hours, two broken ninjas, weighed down by their tremendous guilt, neither able to sleep, neither able to leave or forget.

At one time in the night, Kakashi turned around to face him. His eyes almost black, the room only illuminated by a sliver of moonlight falling through the drawn curtains. Genma knew what would come next. And for a split second, he felt guilty. And selfish. Nervousness spread through him, painfully knotting his stomach. Because, at that moment, he _wanted_ to desperately jump at the chance to have someone as incredible, as noble and powerful as Hatake Kakashi. If that chance would never come up again, he could just allow himself this tiny but disgustingly greedy little taste of one of Konoha’s greatest shinobi of all time. Be his soul be damned further, he couldn’t care anymore.

Without a word he pressed his mouth to the masked lips. And that was it. No turning back now. He had doomed them both. At first, he was hesitant, then suddenly there were hands that pressed him against the copy-nin. Desperation. Trying to find release and stabilization...

Between shock and mourning about what he was about to do, Genma let himself _feel_. He knew sex could make you forget sometimes. That it could help sometimes. It was his field of profession. When he had let himself day dream, he had always pictured their first time in Kakashi's bed, but not like that. It felt guileful. But Genma could help. He had already helped others this way. It was like another mission, he told himself. Just mission sex. Kakashi needed him, and he would not let him down now that he had baited the other.  
And he needed the jounin, too.  
Although differenty.

The kisses grew heated, the breaths louder and faster. Hands slid over bare hot skin, touching, grabbing as if drowning, legs entangling, lap pressed against lap, trying to make even more contact as they rolled around in bed.

The heat let beads of sweat glisten on both bodies and Genma managed to pin Kakashi's back into the pillows with his forearm.

The silver-haired man hold his breath and Genma looked at him questioningly. As an answer Kakashi squeezed Genma's fingers gently but firmly. So he worked his way down from the corner of Kakashi's lips to his chin, the larynx and finally his collarbone, his hands slid down Kakashi's chiseled chest and abdominal muscles, leaving tingling chakra tracks that made the other shudder. There was no hesitation anymore, no words. They were already past the point of no-return. Genma's fingers cupped Kakashi's member through the thin fabric of the boxer shorts, kneading gently. Kakashi threw his head back with a strangled cry, one arm sliding over his eyes. Maybe he just realized what was about to happen, Genma mused.

He nibbled his way to a nipple, letting his other hand play with Kakashi's balls. The shorts were definitely in the way. He broke away from the other and sat down between his knees, carefully tugging on the boxer shorts till the silver haired jounin helped by lifting his hips.

And finally a beautiful cock was presented to Genma. He involuntarily licked his lips. Kakashi was of normal length but very broad. A new hunger rose inside and Genma threw all plans about further foreplay overboard and instead devoured the other completely. He reflexively relaxed his throat to take him as deeply as possible and Kakashi moaned, wriggling excitedly.

Genma quickly grabbed Kakashi's hips and held him steady. The smell of an exotic soap filled his nose and Genma had a confusing memory of Pakkun suggesting that special bath supplement for soft paws. But the copy-nin's skin really _was_ soft... Kakashi tried to bury his hands in Genma's hair, effectively washing away any unwanted images of dog paws, but the angle was too difficult. So instead he decided to slide his fingers over his own body, totally caught up in the moment, and Genma saw transfixed, how delicate fingers started to play with erect nipples. He let the cock slid out of his mouth. "Fuck..."

Blinking, the Tokujou went back to work, but not without stealing another glance. He gulped, earning another groan. The Tokujou started bobbing his head a few times, before forming a ring between thumb and index at the base of Kakashi’s cock while licking the head thoroughly with his tongue. He just had the feeling that Kakashi was one of those who liked bedroom-noises. So he smugly made sure there were a lot of nice, wet sounds. Then he took the whole length in again, pressing his other index against the perineum, teasing a bit there too, never letting the other out of his eyes to constantly check, no, drink in, every reaction.  
Constantly loosing himself more and more to the breathtaking sight… And the sounds, he elicited from Kakashi…they would haunt him forever... What had he done? He was doomed!

That way, it didn’t take long. The groaning was getting higher and faster, Genma let them be his compass, bobbing, sucking, licking, flat tongue, hand stroking the base, fingertips teasing or grasping firmly, whatever it took to make the other let go... He picked up speed, starting to feel an overwhelming heat in his chest that threatened to burn him.  
The other arched his back in pure pleasure and Genma was completely frozen at the intoxicating show the jounin was performing. For him. Because of him. He felt the body under his fingers start to shiver and engulfed the enticing cock again with his mouth, letting it slide in deep.  
A strangled cry, muffled by Kakashi's wrist, and hot liquid started to spurt into Genma's throat. Quick and with patience he swallowed everything down.  
Kakashi looked at the ceiling, chest heaving.

Genma sat up, wiped his lips with the back of his hand and stared proudly and happily down at the other - like a cat that had just received a treat.

"Well, I certainly did not expect that."

Kakashi peeped out from under his arm. "What?", he groaned hoarsely.

"That your cum would taste so good."

Kakashi groaned again, pressing his arm back to cover his eyes. "That ... Stop that and ... come here."

Genma happily snuggled against him, resting his cheek on the other’s sculpted chest. "You are like one of these marble statues in Tea Country, you know that ...?"

"What about you?" Kakashi asked quietly and with a little guilt.

Genmas let his hand rest over where he could feel a strong heartbeat, contently feeling the other’s now peaceful and steady chakra. The darkness of the past days had finally bled out of the jounin’s body. For now.  
"Don’t worry," he answered. "I might or might not have come into my pants when I saw you cumming. Fuck. That was sooo fucking insanely hot ... "

Kakashi shuddered, positively blushing a little. His let his hand sneak up the Tokujou’s strong thighs, groped the boxer shorts and successfully teased the other's soft penis through the thin fabric. He could feel a telltale wet spot there. "So ... maybe you did ... good. I like the idea of you watching and listening to me while you make me cum."

"I ... may or may not have just gotten a little hard again..."

Kakashi snorted - tired, incredulous. "You,… How do you even _do_ this...? ... Is it ... Is it okay if we ... just ..."

"Sleep, Kakashi," Genma whispered smiling, eyes already closing, "You are not alone. I'll be here."

Strong hands pressed the Tokujou's body a surprisingly tight against own. "I know."


	9. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week I'll have to work again, so I felt like rushing a little bit. I have one or two chapters almost ready, but I don't know when I'll be able to post the rest of the story.  
And I'm somehow not able to do the italics right... uwaaaahhhh....
> 
> Though there is a lot happening and a lot of small but important details, I really like this chapter. I listened to a lot of music composed by Max Richter while writing it. For example “Dream 3”.
> 
> Otoutou= little brother, normally younger siblings are addressed by their forename  
Oneesan: elder sister

_ Children’s voices…_

_“Do you want to see a secret, Gen-chan?”_

_“Hai, Oneesan.”_

_“But don’t tell mom!”_

_„I promise!“_

_„Pinky swear?“_

_„Pinky swear.“ ___

_ _*~*_ _

_ _Kakashi sat up in his bed, fingers touched the bridge of his nose, gently massaging. He felt groggy, eyes achingly dry and swollen. The events of the last days dawned on him and he grimaced painfully. When his fingers started to tremble, he willed the memories down, inwardly repeating the mantra: ANBU don’t do feelings. 'There is nothing but purity and harmless mischief in the eyes of a child', Hiruzen Sarutobi had once told him. Killing a child was worse than making a regretful mistake: it was unforgivable. It had been an accident. A terrible accident. He didn’t kill the girl willingly. She had been at the wrong time in the wrong place…_ _

_ _A lot of unspeakable things had happened in his life. And now… _ _

_ _He had ended the life of a pure soul._ _

_ _Again. Would Rin meet the little girl in the afterlife and explain to her that he never intended to end her life? Would she comfort her? A stifled laugh / cry escaped his throat._ _

_ _ANBU don’t do feelings._ _

_ _That would never leave him, and taint his soul forever. ANBU don’t do feelings!_ _

_ _He felt sick._ _

_ _He knew if he didn’t stop himself from going down that path further, he’d probably end up killing himself. ANBU don’t do feelings. _ _

_ _He gazed at the sleeping man next to him, who had grounded him again when he had been drifting. _ „I know“, _ Genma had said. So he had had a similar experience? Kakashi hadn’t known. Had it also been an accident? Somehow he knew it hadn't been one. The other’d never talked about it. Because ANBU don’t do feelings, he reminded himself.___ _

_ _ _ _But he wasn’t wearing his uniform now. At this moment, sitting in his bed, feeling the warm rays of the early morning sun on his cheek, he was just Kakashi. And Genma was Genma._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _What other secrets did the other hide? They spent a lot of time together, but they also spent a lot of time apart. When the specialjounin grew up it was easy to see he would become a handsome and alluring man. His face was the personification of symmetry. There had always been something appealing about him, especially since his time with Kōmyō-sensei. But it was common knowledge to be careful with those seduction experts: you never knew if they really meant it. A special cruel case had been when Kōmyō had given Genma the mission to try to seduce Anko – her own daughter. It said a lot about the Tokujou, that he didn’t complain but actually succeeded._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Anko had been furious when she found out. Her parents were already divorced so that had only deepened the divide. It took Anko more than a year to speak to her mother again. And Genma… well, he let her beat him up in every sparring session during that year. A masochistic apology that happened to be just the right foundation for a deep new friendship between the two. Which had offended a lot of people. And had said a lot about Genma’s psychoanalytical abilities. In that time he‘d also made friends with a fascinated Ibiki._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Kakashi took a deep breath. He’d let Shiranui Genma, ANBU’s current only seduction expert, give him a mind-blowing blow-job... That might also have spoiled him for the rest of his life. Those lips, that look in these dark brown eyes, these noises and especially the pleasant smell of the Tokujou… How could someone even smell so nice?_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Kakashi shook his head. He had no idea what he was doing, but he knew he was way past the point of leading a healthy life. There was a lot of hurt but also a strong will to live. He felt drawn to the complicated but beautiful man. Maybe, because he was a complicated man himself. In their own kind of way they shared their traumas. Not uncommon between shinobi. _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _And the Shiranui… well, to Kakashi he was something like a highly addictive drug: once you tasted it, you wanted to have it again. And he wanted the Shiranui again. Even now. Even if he knew the other only stayed the night to help him cope in a way that at that moment, only Genma could have done. Which felt wrong somehow. Nonetheless, he wanted him so much it hurt. He closed his eyes. Because deep down a taunting voice asked if he even deserved something nice, or if he would break it, again… _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _At some point Genma had shed the shorts he had borrowed from Kakashi, obviously preferring to sleep naked. It was warm enough to sleep without a blanket and Kakashi felt free to do a lot of ogling. Who knew if there would be another occasion? Although he had seen the other naked in the ANBU showers, it had been a totally different context. Now… Yes, there were a lot of things he’d done wrong, but appreciating art was never one of it. The appealing muscular and round ass, the strong back and shoulders, the vein along his biceps,… and of course that handsome face framed by honey brown and soft hair… So maybe he was admiring the other too much. So maybe he couldn’t care less…_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _The other moved while sleeping. It seemed like a nice dream… at first. Suddenly Genma startled awake, looking around haunted, automatically searching and sensing for threats._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Kakashi didn’t move and waited calmly for the other to orientate himself. It seemed to dawn on him, that he was in Kakashis bedroom, in his bed actually, with Kakashi next to him, wearing nothing,… like Genma, too. The Tokujou blinked incredibly sheepishly and then let his head fall down onto the pillow again, mumbling something incoherent._ _ _ _

_ _ _ __Cuute..._ “Not a morning person?” He got his answer when Genma simply turned onto his side, folding the pillow to cover his eyes like a fortress against the light, his back to Kakashi, as if denying his presence. _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Kakashi snickered. Somehow that deadly killer next to him appeared more like a cute kitty than anything else now. Interesting. “What were you dreaming about?”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“Nothing,” he mumbled, barely audible, like almost asleep again, “Ol’ mem’ry. Som’thing… ‘bout my sister when we were … Don’t wanna talk ‘bout it. Don’t even know what it’s about…Don’t care… Don’t….think…“ He yawned loudly before contently burying his head deeper into the pillow._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Kakashi wondered briefly, how the other could still breathe. Letting his head rest against the bedroom wall, he smiled. Dozing next to Genma felt surprisingly pleasant. Debating with himself whether to speak about last night, he suddenly heard himself say: “So… hmmm…. A-…bout last night…”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _The twitching of Genma’s shoulder betrayed the sleeping act to be fake. The following would have been easier if the Tokujou actually was asleep. Well. He started it…_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“I won’t, I… wanted … to say… hmmm,… err, …thank you. For everything you did… the night. It… helped …a lot.” He rubbed the back of his head, nervously searching for words by glancing at the ceiling in stupid hopes of finding the answer there, feeling like his treacherous tongue was in knots._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _There was silence for a moment. Then came the calm but blank reply: “You are welcome.”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Kakashi stole a glance at Genma’s legs, let his eyes linger a little longer on that perfect butt again… The sun seemed to caress the other’s only slightly scarred skin in a way, that couldn’t be natural. Was Kakashi projecting Icha Icha fantasies onto the other? He noticed a thin scar across the kidney… That must have been a deep sword wound... _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“And I am sorry for using the sharingan on you.”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“Don’t mention it again.”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“Ma… I’ve been thinking…”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“Sorry to hear that.”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Kakashi blinked a few times. That moody retorts didn't help at all. “Well I… really appreciated your help and…-“ Genma sat up, back muscles stiff. With a groan he rose from the bed. “That’s my cue. I should probably leave. See ya, Kakashi.” He started to stroll emphatically casually towards the door._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“Wait, I’m trying very hard here to find some juicy and intelligent words that in a different universe could be considered poetry and-“_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“Then stop trying,” Genma bit back, face distorted in what looked like disgust and… anger?_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“Oi! Listen, if I said something to offend you, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. You really helped me when I needed help. And I am really glad you did. I just thought that… about… Well… We could do it again, right? I mean, I- I liked it – very much to be honest - and maybe you liked it too and…”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Genma exhaled, brown eyes intense and concentrated, and Kakashi suddenly was afraid he totally messed up – though he didn’t know how. Damn this man and his ability to reduce him to a stammering teenager with hormones practically drowning his brain._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Genma stood there looking down at him, in all his naked glory but at the same time being wrapped in more armor than any ANBU uniform could provide. _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Surprisingly, the other suddenly snorted. He climbed lasciviously back onto the bed and over Kakashi’s body, straddling his waist. The hazel brown eyes were the only thing that betrayed deep hidden emotions that threatened to drown an astonished Kakashi along, and he suddenly felt the need breach the other’s carefully constructed guarding walls, the need to take control of the situation… and help this conflicted man somehow. _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“Less talking, more action.” Genma beat him to it. As simply as that._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Kakashi gulped and let the other press him into the mattress, firm hand on his chest._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“I’ll ride your beautiful cock till you won’t care about grammar or poetry again.”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Kakashi’s heart skipped a beat, and he felt himself instantly harden. “You… That was a quote from Icha Icha Paradise… Jiraya-Samas first book… Page 23.”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Genma smirked down at him. Kōmyō -Sensei had made him learn it by heart._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Kakashi nodded appreciatively, voice hoarse. “So Hokage-sama _did_ send you to kill me because I made one mistake too much this time.”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Genma gracefully bowed his head, his nose touching Kakashi’s ear lobe. “Idiot.”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _The hot breath sent a shudder down his spine. “If I was sent to kill myself, this would totally be the way I’d do it.”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“But killing the legendary copy-nin, ninja of a thousand jutsus, one of Konoha’s finest shinobi ever and potential would-be Hokage would be such a …damn ...waste, ..._Kakashi_...”, Genma’s liquid voice was sending shivers down his neck again. “There’s still so much left for you to do… So no more talking about accidents…”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Kakashi's hands found Genma’s hips, fingers digging into the hot flesh, thump stroking the long thin scar there. “Then I must be already dead. Poison then? Did you at least use a slow-acting one?”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _The Tokujou snorted. Then he shifted his hip, feeling the other’s hard-on press against the cleft of his ass cheeks, feeling ensnared to stupidly tease a little by squeezing it. “No. Definitely no poison, definitely not dead, yet. And I want that low.”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Kakashi closed his eyes, groaning. “One way or the other, you will certainly be the death of me.” Then he leaned in and took one of Genma’s nipples into his mouth. _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“Fuck, yes!” Genma threw his head back, incredibly happy and incredibly aroused. He allowed himself a smile and pressed a kiss onto the other’s hair. “Likewise, Kakashi. Likewise…”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _*~*~_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Four months passed._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _It was a good time for Kakashi. _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _He enjoyed spending time with Genma. That included everything that had to do with the Tokujou. Like simply listening to his voice while talking about nothing or discussing an abstract in Icha Icha. He also enjoyed sparring with the man and… he might or might not have perfected his secret-Genma-groping-while-doing-some-cool-taijutsu-stunts-with-noone-else-noticing. And he totally enjoyed their wonderful sex life.  
When Genma’s eyes got hurt in a mission, and he had to wear a blindfold for a whole week, that certainly had opened a new field of possibilities. Kakashi had tended to him in every way necessary, though Genma’s fine ninja senses helped a lot, too. In that week a lot of feathers, ice cubes and – once in an especial eagerness to experiment and become messy – even melted chocolate was used. They threw away the bedsheets afterwards and couldn't care less. And that sweet and hot moment at the Hokage tower, when he discovered Genma's secret weakness (being fucked against and embraced by one of Kakashi's shadow-clones)... Oh the joys of ninjutsu._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Friends with benefits, Genma called it. It was uncomplicated. It was just about enjoying life, they assured each other. They told nobody, keeping it as much of a secret as possible, because Genma preferred to keep everything from their friends, though Kakashi was sure Raidou knew._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Kakashi prided himself to be an attentive lover. They had a lot of sex. That's why it surprised him a little to discover that the other preferred lazy and gentle sex most of the time, especially when it came to Kakashi himself. Nothing too wild, though he had perfected the art of changing the speed and prolong the inevitable without being cruel or speed things up like nobody's business. It was so easy to talk with the other about things they liked in bed and things they didn't. And they really did it a lot. Though at various places and in surprisingly creative positions. Only sometimes the other was in the mood to get a little rough. Then the Tokujou would deliberately press Kakashi’s buttons to fuel him up a little in advance. And Kakashi could still vividly remember the Shiranui pressing him into the wall and have his dirty way with him. Genma had called it a study in art and gravity, Gai would have certainly called it a workout, but Genma hadn't complained. No, he'd dug the fingertips of his left hand into the muscles of Kakashi's shoulder and the other hand had on his ass pressed his hip harder against the Tokujou's, quivering and sweaty chests rubbing together in a way that had left no distance at all between them, the intimacy of it nearly overwhelming... So when the brown haired mind reading sex god was deeply buried into his body and Kakashi’s legs tried to pull him in even more, the copy-nin had an epiphany: he knew that their relationship had become much more than just sex between friends. He wasn’t only drawn to that unbelievable sexy body but also to that witty, humorous mind and passionate but complicated heart, that honey brown, soft hair, the way that little wrinkle appeared when the other was scowling with the senbon between his sensual lips... _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Kakashi was falling for him. Hard. Way too fast to be healthy or reasonable. And because he was a good shinobi, he didn't tell._ _ _ _

Instead, he started a mental list of his favorite sexual intercourses with the other man, but couldn't decide if it was the one where he fucked Genma into his clone, if it was the one time Genma had appeared in his flat with that bottle of expensive-looking oil, claiming to have to practice his 'massage skills before they got rusty - but I also brought this bag with toys just to make sure I didn't get you too relaxed to doze off. Ah, and you'll only need this towel so you could start to get undressed now', or that time Genma had made a clone to watch how they looked when Kakashi was riding him, or that time in the onsen Kakashi had bend him over, or when he caught Genma with the kunai-wires on training ground 7, or that time in the ANBU-showers when Tenzou left had to get dressed but was still within earshot, or... Damn! He couldn't decide at all!

It was incredible to spent time with this man. Fulfilling in so many ways, uncomlicated sex, no talking about complicated feelings at all.

_  
_  
_  
_In all their shared time, Genma rarely mentioned his family, even saw his own father on very few occasions, some might even be considered accidents. Kakashi suspected, no, knew, the other avoided him deliberately because he couldn’t stand to see his father in his demented state. _  
_  
_  
_

_ _ _ _With all that empathy underneath the layers of sexiness and self-confidence, the Tokujou was living strongly in denial of everything complicated and emotional._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Once, when drunk and a little depressed in a bar, Genma admitted having dreams about his sister since the Hokage had declared her missing in action. He even talked a bit about her when Kakashi had mentioned the Tokujou was a devil in bed, joking about her being the real devil in their family for having set half the Shiranui estate on fire when she had been only seven years old. So Kakashi told him about his dreams about Rin in return, earning him that especially rare but especially caring warm look Genma reserved only for those he cared for._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Kurenai still hadn’t returned from her mission. Asuma was still out there training with the monks. Ibiki and Shizune had at one point started a sweet little relationship and Raidou got himself married to a henpecking wife named Jikyū. It had happened so fast, they took everybody by surprise. Genma never stopped to tease Raidou about his tendency to follow “strong-willed civil women” so blindly, but Kakashi could tell he was incredibly happy for his friend. _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Pakkun and Genma somehow bonded over bath supplements and silky shampoos. _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Kakashi was sure that Anko had something going on with Aoba, which seemed to be another example of the crazy life a shinobi normally led. Genma and Kakashi fit right in._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _When the Hokage sent Tenzou to collect some files on the Shiranui Clan and even ordered him to break into the Shiranui estate where only Genma’s demented dad now lived - to make a copy of the family tree, Tenzou took the liberty to leave a copy of his findings encrypted on Kakashi’s kitchen table for him to find. The Hokage should have known better than to send Tenzou. But then again… maybe that was why he had sent Tenzou in the beginning._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _So that made Kakashi start to investigate again. Especially about that fire Hōka had caused all that years ago. The incident was known as “the fire in the southern quarters” and the file documenting it, written by ANBU-Ox, had been so vague about everything, that it had that smell of mystery that Kakashi couldn’t stay away from. He just loved solving mysteries. And Icha Icha. And probably Genma, too. So it was a question of pack principle to know more about that mysterious threat from the Yamaguji- group, that somehow seemed to be connected to that fire in the southern quarters. Maybe everything even started there. His concerns were emphasized when Tenzou told him, Yamananka Inoichi saw Genma’s dad to question him about the fire incident.  
He felt a little bad for hiding it from Genma, but he knew that Genma was hiding things a well. Like that second prepared mission bag in the storeroom of Genma’s flat. Or that secret hollow space behind his bookshelf. _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Raidou must have known about his friend’s secret investigations, too. He must have mentioned his worries to the Hokage, because Hiruzen ordered Kakashi and Raidou to make sure, Genma wouldn’t leave the village on his own._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Surprisingly, Genma stayed still and simply continued to follow his orders, never once speaking about searching for his sister. He appeared to be the perfect ANBU - operative._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _So somehow, even if they had been spending as much time together as possible for ninja in the line of duty – mostly to have sex - there were still a lot of unspoken secrets between them. Because deep in their hearts, they were shinobi to the core, and that also meant, they couldn’t go against their nature._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Gosaburou asked Genma to visit him from time to time, promising to give Konoha important intel about black market activities, different but secret political developments and delicate information about the almost totally isolated Land of Rain. And Genma, probably expecting to find out more about Hōka, followed the invitations. Mostly they sent Raidou or even Gyobue with him. They never sent Kakashi along.  
They didn’t talk about it. But Genma’s long stays at the onsen said everything Kakashi already knew. He was there for the other and helped as much as he could, even if that meant to give him his space. But it was hard for Kakashi to stay away for long._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _And because you never knew if you would live to see the next day, Kakashi enjoyed every second of their shared time. He didn’t dare to reflect much about what fueled their relationship, and he was sure the other didn’t either. They were just enjoying life as much as shinobi with their special set of skills could. With each other. In it. Or... because of each other._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Whatever. Complicated men handling things in a very uncomplicated way: less thinking, more action._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Yet, it turned complicated when Genma’s sister Michirou was officially declared killed in action, too many bottled up emotions, and they ended up banding blows at each other outside a bar – it had been Rin’s day of death, too many bottled up emotions on his side too. Gai and Aoba had to separate them. _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _He didn’t enjoy, when they stopped talking to each other after that evening for days, nearly failing an important mission because of that. The Hokage had been furious._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _But they found each other again – like addicts, drowning themselves in their respective passionate chaos without ever speaking about why. _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Because that’s how complicated they were. _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _And because they were cowards who had found each other._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Then the day came Kurenai returned to Konoha. And everything changed._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _*~*~*_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _„Pinky swear?“_ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _„Pinky swear.“_ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _„Okay.“_ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _…_ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _“Ready?”_ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _“Ready!”_ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _~*~*~_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Genma woke up in the middle of night when the sound of the raindrops against his windows changed and the traps securing them flared alive. Kunai and senbon ready, he went up to check and was shocked to find a bleeding and beaten Kurenai crawling to him, beautiful dress shredded to pieces, red eyes haggard and haunted, leaving drops of blood on his floor._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“Find Shiranui,” she hissed in a coarse voice. “Show him… Let him see… where the little fire devil oh might be…”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _She didn’t stop repeating the words even when Genma had long since brought her to the hospital. ANBU and medics gathered, Ibiki and Shizune somehow in the middle of it, barking orders to search the woods, wake up Tsunade, setting everyone else on high alert because of Kurenai’s lone return._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _No one had noticed her passing through the gates, but many knew her and were concerned for her well-being, at the same time whispering and wondering about the whereabouts of the others that had accompanied her.  
It was less than ten minutes later that a fully equipped Genma left Konoha with his prepared mission bag through the southern gate._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _It was less than two minutes later, Raidou and Kakashi stopped him and less than a second for Genma to viciously attack._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“Genma, stop!”, Raidou called, “You are not allowed to leave Konoha on your own!“ A needle embedded itself into his collarbone, and he yanked it out immediately._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“That’s the Kumachi-Ne blossom, Raidou”, the senbon-ninja explained coldly,” I’d better let myself get checked at the hospital.”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“You wouldn’t…” Raidou started, conviction written clearly over his scarred face. _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“In this case I would!”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Kakashi signaled him to stay back, and Raidou, sending the copy-nin a begging look, reluctantly drew back to Konoha, leaving it to the jounin to stop his crazy boy-friend from doing anything reckless._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Genma scurried through the forest and into the gray and rainy night, Kakashi hard on his heels. “You won’t change anything if you just rush into the Land of Bears! You don’t have enough intel about the threat!”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“I know the Yamaguji-group in Yorokobi is involved!”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Kakashi cursed. So Genma knew where to start his search. “But I won’t stand by and watch you let yourself get killed, Genma.”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Genma dodged Kakashi's hand, using the short-distance Hiraishin to yet again and suddenly change his direction. But Kakashi knew that tactic – he would have been disappointed if the other didn’t use it, but at the same time  
it would cost the Tokujou a lot of chakra._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Rain was blurring his vision and Genma didn’t slow down. If he wasn’t careful he could easily slip and kill himself, Kakashi thought anxiously. _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Genma reached a street and hastened southwestern. He would leave the street any second now to find cover in the forest again…_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Kakashi’s feet also hit the muddy ground and – after calculating Genma’s next appearance out of the Hiraishin- he pressed a scroll into the ground and Kakashi’s whole pack of ninken broke though the road, burying their teeth into Genma’s uniform, tearing the Tokujou forcefully down._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“Fuck you, Kakashi!”, he shouted desperately, fist hitting and denting the ground. _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _The hunt was over._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Rain was still pouring from the early morning sky, drenching them both._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Kakashi drew closer to the other, prepared for any creative way of resistance, kunai drawn, sharingan bared, when he noticed, surprised, the soft sobs. Genma was crying._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“Why? Why, Kakashi?” The bottled up despair breaking loose in the Tokujou’s voice threatened to melt Kakashi’s resolve to follow his orders. _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“Why can’t you let me go? Why can’t _ anyone _ let me go?!”___ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _Kakashi’s heart sunk. He certainly couldn’t. Not even Gosaburou could… Did that mean, that in the end, they were the same?_ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _“Why is it everyone wants to keep me somewhere…” Genma was laying on his back, his arms pressed over his eyes, rain or tears spilling past the wet clothes of his ANBU-uniform. The dogs still held him down effectively, not letting him get up or move any more than a tiny bit._ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _And suddenly, Kakashi understood. He swallowed down his guilt and decided to go directly for the truth. “Genma… Kurenai couldn’t have made it back to Konoha on her own, not in that condition. Someone must have helped her. Someone somehow forced her mind to set on one goal only: “Find Shiranui. Show him… Let him see… where the little fire devil oh might be…_ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _Genma. Those aren’t her own words. They were dictated to her. To lure _you_ out of Konoha.”___ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Genma cried. “Let me go, Kakashi. Let me go to my sister… Don't make me wait any longer… Let me go!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Hōka is your sister. Hōka means fire devil! Genma! They want you to go after her! You have to think this through! Someone is targeting the Shiranui clan!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Genma shook his head in denial. “No reason to.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Normally I’d agree, but Kurenai’s return changed everything. Genma! Think about it. If a clan is targeted it is normally because of a kekkei-genkai or a vendetta. Shiranui Genma, is there any reason to believe, any of these two possibilities to be true?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Genma laughed, crying disrupting the normally pearly sound. “Fuck off, Hatake!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Kakashi knelt down by the other's shoulder, still not daring to touch him. “Hitsuji…!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Fuck off, Inu!”, he yelled again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“No...,” he tried again, softer this time,” your sister wasn’t the first Shiranui to be sent into that region in the Land of Bears. Your mother was sent there, too.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Genma gasped for breath, eyes widening in shock. So Kakashi now had his attention at least._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“After the Kyubi-attack, when Konoha was destroyed and in chaos and trying to reestablish its power, your mother was sent to infiltrate the Yamaguji-group in Yorokobi to investigate a drug named Sōsu that was new on the market. She disappeared and was declared killed in action, and the drug was flooding the black markets like an avalanche before disappearing again. Years later, her daughter Michirou Shiranui, codename Hōka, was sent to repeat the mission. About six months ago, she also went missing in action, two months ago she was declared k.i.a. The next shinobi Konoha sent was a kunoichi who, too, went missing in action but suddenly turns up again and – instead of reporting back at the Hokage tower, goes to find you, out of all people in Konoha! – repeating the following sentences like a hypnotized doll: “Find Shiranui. Show him… Let him see… where the little fire devil oh might be…”. Damn it, Shiranui, this is so obviously a trap and you are willing to run straight into it. But as your friend - and your captain - I won’t let you!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _That made Genma stop resisting. Only his hands were still on his face, trying to hide the open emotion there, tears still running mixed with raindrops. The worst thing was, that Kakashi could understand his pain. If it had been him in this situation, he would have run too. Probably at lot sooner than the other._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Kakashi’s hand now rested on the Shiranui’s ice-cold shoulder and the ninken backed down. After a nod, they disappeared in a puff of smoke. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _As if this was a signal, Genma curled up into Kakashi and let himself be hugged. Kakashi’s strong arms embraced him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _The rain was cold and wet and so, so uncomfortable…_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Why won’t you let me go, Kakashi?”, Genma asked silently into his chest, and the words stung._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Because I can’t.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“I don’t get it. I don’t understand why… I make people hold onto me until I can’t breathe anymore…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“…It’s a Shiranui thing.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“No… No… It’s not. There is something wrong about all this.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Do you want to see a secret, Gen-chan?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Hai, Oneesan.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“But don’t tell mom!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _„I promise!“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _„Pinky swear?“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _„Pinky swear.“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _„Genma…“, Kakashi’s arms pressed him tightly against his body and suddenly they were both laying on the muddy ground. “There is something… Something you don’t know, because you suppressed the memory…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Genma frowned. „And what would that be?“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _„Pinky swear?“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _„Pinky swear.“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _„Okay. But we’ll have to hide under the blankets. There will be lots of super special shining and lights, that mom shouldn’t see!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Genma nodded and crawled excitedly underneath the tent of blankets his sister had built between two chairs, a small petrol lamp in the middle. That had always been their secret place. Here they had already exchanged a lot of secrets. And Genma loved secrets. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _They wrapped themselves in some additional blankets and made themselves comfortable. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Grinning like starting a big conspiracy they looked at each other. Hiding secrets in front of mom was always something special. They already had a few. And Genma was great at keeping them. Like his sister was, too._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Okay. It doesn’t work for everyone. Only for special people,” she whispered secretively, grinning brightly. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Genma felt a certain excitement. His sister always knew how to increase suspense._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ „Let me see.“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Carefully, the little girl rummaged through her pajama trousers. Genma always envied her for all these pockets. His were just plain and boring. Mom had always given Michirou the more interesting gifts._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Finally, his sister produced a small handkerchief. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Before opening it, she dramatically took a moment to listen if they were still alone, then she suddenly unwound it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _*~*~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Rain was drumming down the tree's leafs, almost drowning Kakashi’s heartbeat out._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Did you really poison Raidou?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Of course not.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _„Good. So… Let’s talk about your family and the Sosu, Genma.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“For all I care: no.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Kakashi sighed. “When will you stubborn man finally stop the denial and start to face the facts?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~*~*_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _A plain small ring with a tiny black stone on it appeared. No special craftsmanship, just a plain ring made of stone and an ordinary, dull and glass like stone attached to it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Genma exhaled disappointed, but his sister shook her head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _„Careful now. It can become really blinding when I touch it. Ready?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Ready!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Okay.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Her fingers touched the black stone and totally transfixed by the beautiful orange glow it emitted, Genma whispered: “Wooow…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _It felt pleasantly warm on his skin and made him feel a sudden euphoria. The young boy immediately felt drawn to the stone. Before his small fingers could touch it as well, Michirou covered it again with the cloth. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Immediately the shine died down and the only light was that of the kerosene lamp._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“I have to warn you. It doesn’t work for everyone.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Maybe it does for me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _His sister grinned crookedly. “It didn’t for the other guys I made try out.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“How does it work?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Michirou shrugged and blew the air between her teeth, causing her bangs to swirl. This gesture never failed to make Genma smile. “I don’t know. The other guys, well I asked the boys from the neighborhood, said  
they could feel something nice when touching it. They didn’t even want to let go of it, but I made them… When I touch it, I feel like the strongest kunoichi in the world. I think… it only glows for special persons. The stone is called Shiranui, so it should belong to us.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Genma’s eyes widened. “Really? That’s our family name!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Exactly.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Did mom touch it, too?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“No. When the man at the marketplace gave it to me, she didn’t want to have anything to do with it. I think she thinks it’s a cheap magic trick. Well, that’s at least what she said, so that’s what I think she thinks. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _She didn’t want me to touch it again.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“But it’s not a trick. I could feel how it got warm. It was nice and really pretty. I want to see it again.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _With a grin, Michirou made the stone glow again and saw contented, how in Genma’s enthusiastic, childlike eyes she became his heroine. Again… “You are really special, oneesan.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“You should try it too, Gen-chan. But don’t be sad if it doesn’t glow for you too, okay? You know I can’t stand to see my otoutou cry.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Genma swallowed nervously and nodded. He wiped his sweaty hands on his trousers. “Okay.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _With a fast beating heart, Genma lifted his hand to bring it near his sister’s. Before he touched the ring, he hesitated. “What if I am not a special person?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Silly!” she laughed, “for me you’ll always be a special person. And my words mean a lot more than that of a stone!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _He grinned. “I like you, too, oneesan.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Then he touched the mineral._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~*~*_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Do you remember that dream about your sister and that stone?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Of course I do! _I_ told you about it! And you know as much as I do that for the last few months I repeatedly had that dream… What about it? It was just a stupid stone. Children’s toys. Glass.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“But… That evening, your sister burned down your house. I believe that’s when it all started. And I also believe, that the stone wasn't just glass but actually a mineral.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Kakashi didn’t even know when, but at some point Genma’s fingers had changed from clawing into his shirt to tracing repetitive patterns against the bare skin of his stomach… When did he…? Next thing he knew, Genma rolled them over, legs curling around the other to grind their hips together, eyes burning darkly, wet, muddy hair framing the handsome face. “I remember you saying about dreams, you always imagined our first time to have taken place in a thunderstorm. So this might be your not so first chance…” His hand eagerly grabbed Kakashi’s soft length through his trousers and the silver haired shinobi could feel the telltale prickling of chakra from those fingers…_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _The copy-nin froze. “Are you using yours skills on me to seduce me? That won’t work. I still won’t let you go, Genma.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Oh, but it always worked on you.” Words like acid._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _He gripped his shoulder hard, warning. “I am not a mission, Shiranui!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“You were always just a mission, Hatake!”, he exclaimed, hands suddenly grabbing Kakashi’s west, and he forcefully hurled the other off of him. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _The words were meant to hurt, and like all of Genma’s senbon, they hit dead-on. “Four months is a lot of commitment for an unpaid mission.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“It’s called pity!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“No. Pity is not what gets you going, Shiranui, isn’t it? In your case it’s called empathy. And denial. Less talking, more action.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Panting, Genma stood up. “If you won’t let me go, we are done for, Hatake.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Then… that’s what we are. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _I already told you, I can’t let you go. Hokage’s orders. And I am therefore arresting you, Shiranui.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Genma snorted and started laughing. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“I am not.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _An ANBU-patrol just landed next to Genma on the road, effectively blocking every path of escape, blank masks and hollow eye gaps looking at the Tokujou like the haunting ghosts of Kakashi they were. “We are here  
for you, Hitsuji.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Genma snorted incredulously, still laughing. “Really? You couldn’t find a hurt and bleeding kunoichi stumbling through that damn forest but you find me?!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“I send Pakkun to get them,” the copy-nin explained. Truthfully, a guilty looking pub trotted from beneath one of the ANBU’s feet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Damn you, Hatake. I should have killed you when I had the chance.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _The other shuddered negatively, remembering their talk on that first morning, but willed himself not to be taken apart by the other’s acid biting. “Calm down, Hitsuji. We’ll talk tomorrow.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“I’d rather cut my tongue out that speak with you again, you backstabbing bastard! You really are Reiketsu!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _With that, the ANBU took Genma into their midst and adamantly escorted him back to Konoha._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Kakashi stayed in the rain a bit longer. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ __'Always have been a mission to you, huh? But to me you weren’t',_ he thought. _You are my addiction. And over the past months I learned that, even if you don’t know it yet, that I am yours, Genma Shiranui. But I’ll never force you into that realization. And I might be mistaken. But I’d rather agree to part ways then let yourself believe I shackled you down, too.__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ __It hurts. But you were hurting too, weren’t you? Because I never told you how I really felt about you. At the end I wasn’t any better than Asuma that months ago. So maybe talking about how you really feel about someone might be one of the most difficult things in the world. And because under all that flirty layers of self-protection and emotion denial, you could never believe someone might like you for the person you really are. Because…_ And Kakashi saw a mental image of Kōmyō and her daughter Anko Mitarashi, fighting all these years back again, and also the little child Genma’d killed years ago, with his own hands and not as an accident, the avoidance to meet his last remaining family member, the stalemate concerning his beloved sister, _because... you are utterly disgusted by yourself.__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“I’m sorry I didn’t see that vicious circle earlier.” He leaned his head back and let the raindrops fall into his eyes. “Damn you, you complicated man.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~*~*_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _End of Chapter._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Listening to “Wait” – M83 and Max Richter: "Dream3", "On the nature of daylight" and others._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	10. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today is my personal deadline. I'll have to concentrate on work and other projects again so I'm throwing out the last 1,5 chapters. No idea when I will have time to write again.
> 
> There is a longer monologue held by Raidou in this chapter. I wasn’t sure if I should leave it like that or cut it short. But I decided against the latter because of one sentence I heard in a documentary that haunted me ever since. It’s really dark.
> 
> Warning: dark, mentions of bad things. From here on, the story will take a dark turn before it gets lighter again.

After that incident, Genma officially submitted his request to be removed from ANBU.

Hiruzen granted it. 

Instead he assigned him to fill in for Kōmyō’s absence and help a beautiful kunoichi of the Yamanaka-clan in her training. 

It was days later that Genma visited Kurenai at the hospital.

When he knocked at the door, her tired and hollowed gaze met his. She’d been waiting for him. And he was late. Kakashi probably would have called it denial again…

He went to her side, and she avoided his gaze, staring at the ceiling instead. Well, he deserved that.

“Kurenai. I-“

Suddenly her red eyes all but pinned him to the spot. “Genma. You can’t go there!”

He was shocked at the unexpected force behind her words. 

“It was… terrible… It’s still ...haunting me…”

“Did you… Were you able to find any traces of Hōka?”

Her haggard hand encompassed his arm in a vice-like grip. “There is an arena, Genma! They make everybody fight in the arena… It was… I… I had to do it, too… They don’t give you a choice. They make you fight… Animals, … People…” She was crying and Genma felt a pang of regret and fear. He’d rather leave.

Kurenai held her shaking hands in front of her eyes, obviously reliving horrible memories. “I killed so many… I can still see their blood on my hands… Do you… Can you see it, too, Genma?”

The other shook his head.

“For them… for him… it was only gambling… And everyone was cheering… The crowd....” She pressed her hands onto her eyes, sobbing.

Genma’s senbon bobbed as he gulped. “I’m… I’m deeply sorry for you, Kurenai. Who… Who did this to you? Was it the Yamaguji-group?”

Her gaze turned back to him. “If you go there, they will kill you. They are waiting for you.”

“…Why?”

“I… don’t know… Really, I don’t know…”

Genma rose abruptly. He squeezed her thin shoulder and started to leave. “Get better soon, Kurenai. You know we are all there for you.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t find Hōka… I’m sorry I killed all those… my teammates-“

“Rest, Kurenai. I am really sorry to have bothered you with these questions. It wasn’t fair.”

“I do… understand, Genma… I… really do…”

“Get better soon, Kurenai.”

“Genma…”

“Yes?” He turned.

“Could you… Would you …please stay with me a little and… just… hold my hand?”

He took in her vulnerable form which seemed way too small for the normal sized bed. How could he not. So he sat next to her on the bed, took her right hand into his and kissed a knuckle. “Of course, Kurenai.

Glad to have you back at home.” 

Tears burst out of her eyes, and he took her in for a hug.

Her hospital gown was loose on her shoulder and showed angry wounds on her back but also… something that looked suspiciously like a seal surrounded by… the markings of another seal, probably containing it. 

The containment seal had the faint feeling of Tsunade’s artful work on it. Genma frowned. Someone in Yorokobi had given Kurenai some sort of cursed seal? Was that the reason, so many shinobi just… vanished… there…? It must be strong, if Tsunade wasn’t able to clear it but decided to contain the seal instead within a counter-seal.

When Kurenai fell asleep half an hour later, he left. He briefly hesitated when he saw Kakashi leaning against the wall of the floor across to Kurenai’s room. Then he continued his way down the hall, ignoring the other’s presence.

~*~*

The Hokage stared at the files in his hands as if they would vanish from sight if concentrated enough. 

“How did you gain this information?” he asked.

Inoichi exchanged a quick glance with Shikaku, and Hiruzen knew his answer just from that.

“Because Genma’s father is demented there had been no other way than to search his memories. He agreed to it.”

Hiruzen doubted, that a demented man like Kennouske Shiranui could legally agree to anything anymore. “So that’s what happened that night.”

“Yes. The Sōsu exploded and destroyed half the Shiranui estate.”

“And Michirou Shiranui got it from an unknown merchant?”

“Yes. But only ANBU-Ox knew his name. It must have been someone of the Yamaguji-group. A scout, maybe. Ox might have killed him. That’s at least, what Mei Shiranui, Kennouske’s wife and mother to Michirou and Genma, asked him to do.”

Sarutobi was silent for a moment. “That undermines my decision not to send Genma to the Land of Bears.”

“About that… Permission to speak freely, Hokage-sama.”

“When did you ever have to ask about that, Shikaku?” The old man smiled tiredly.

“He might be the only one with the right set of skills to learn everything about the Sōsu. It is highly likely they are already prepared for his appearance. Kurenai’s report confirmed this theory. But it could also be a  
chance.”

“Then we will not only lose our last workable Shiranui but also willingly give him and all his abilities into the greedy hands of the Yamaguji-mafia. That is absolutely not going to happen.”

“If he doesn’t do it, who else will you send? He has the greatest chances to survive. We don’t know what happened to the rest of Kurenai’s team or Kōmyō, but him they want alive. They _need_ him alive.”

“Shikaku-kun. Don’t misunderstand my intentions as Hokage. It is not a question of who has the highest possibility to survive infiltrating the Yamaguji-group. When I chose which shinobi is to be sent out to risk  
their lives, it is always a question of whose abilities will serve the well-being of Konoha the most. Our shinobi exist to protect the people. Genma Shiranui’s set of skills perfectly qualifies him for the Yamaguji- mission. But it also has the potential to unleash a threat to the whole fire nation.

The Sōsu is already killing enough people.

Therefore I cannot send him. And I also cannot allow him to leave Konoha alone at any cost. I’ll send him on every other mission he’ll be able to make Konoha a safer place. 

And that is all I wish to say about the Yamaguji-matter for now.”

“Understood, Hokage-Sama.”

*~*~

It was obvious to everyone the Hokage purposefully kept Genma busy after that.

He was doing a lot of bodyguard missions with Raidou, Iwashi and Shizune. Mostly to protect Shizune while the capable medic was helping throughout the fire country. 

Genma accomplished one mission after another, on some occasions accompanying his new Yamanaka-protégé.

The next mission, they lost Genma.

Kakashi hadn’t been there, but it hit him like an anvil when the Hokage declared Genma Shiranui and Sachiko Yamananka missing in action. Like Gai and Raidou he volunteered for the rescue mission to that isle  
near Ame, where Genma was last seen. Hiruzen sent Raidou, Gai and Kurenai. Kakashi was sent to Suna’s borders to an s-rank mission instead.

Genma had been missing for almost two months and everybody not only feared for the worst, but knew it would be bad.

On a misty morning, Gai, Kurenai and Raidou brought him back to Konoha. Without the Yamananka-girl.

No one was allowed to visit the Tokujou at the hospital. 

Intensive care.

But it didn’t take Kakashi long to find the room Genma was kept in and find himself a suitable tree to sit on its branch and pretend to read Jiraiya-sama’s latest novel. He couldn’t focus on it. Not with Genma lying unconscious in that hospital bed. The night nurse had just left. All day long someone had been at the tokujou’s side, taking blood samples, checking bandages, the beeping monitors or infusion bags. Tsunade had been there too, commanding a nurse to bring Genma into surgery. The operation had taken several hours. Kakashi couldn’t say for sure, although he stayed hidden in that tree for its duration. Words like “torture” were whispered, but he could lip-read them clearly. And other words, too.

The steady beep of the heart monitor, barely audible to his fine ears, lured him into finally relaxing a bit. Genma was alive. Genma had been carrying out his duty for Konoha, like every other shinobi too.

At some point, Raidou joined him on that tree. For what seemed like hours they just sat there in silence.

“This must be the first time concerning this kind of missions, …where I couldn’t be at his side to hear about the test results.”

Kakashi took a moment to consider what Raidou was talking about. Then it dawned him. Seduction missions. There was a high risk for sexually transmitted diseases. 

“It… sort of became our dark ritual. He’s always been panicky when he couldn’t use protection, though he tried to hide it from me. This isn’t something he could allow himself to deny. And it terrified him. He let himself get checked regularly, you know. Especially that time he was seeing you. Usually he uses every sort of protection he can, so he can fully commit to the job. The mission. I always used to tell him to quit these kinds of missions. But he just shrugged it off and said, it’s his duty. Like his mom’s before. And that he inherited her nymphomania and most of the time simply enjoyed it.  
I say… it’s prostitution, but he didn’t want to hear about it. Said I couldn’t understand.

Thing is… He even saved my life once like that... We were captured. Genma was out of it, so they decided to start with me. That’s when I got my scars... They… had just decided to kill me, when Genma regained his consciousness. … It didn’t take him long to take in the situation and come up with a plan. The idea came to him naturally, I think. … He seduced them. All three of them.” Raidou snorted with despair. “He said, the only way to satisfy all three of them at the same time, was to free his hands. Only his hands. … That was all he needed. … He killed all of them. And he said, he’d do it anytime if that could save his comrades again. It was that mission I started to suspect that… the Shiranui clan must have some sort of kekkei-genkai. There is no other explanation for this. If he really wants someone, he gets them. That’s why he is so damn good at what he is doing. When he was with you,… it felt right. For the first time, it felt right and not like he used whatever trick he normally uses. Although I think he does it unconsciously, with you, he didn’t. I was happy for him. I… would have wished for the two of you to have more time together. 

After your shared time, when he started to help Sachiko Yamananka, it made him reflect his job anew and… one night at the bar, when he was drunk enough, he said to me: “It is a bitter experience …to have sex with someone you don’t like, Raidou.” This sentence... it has been haunting me ever since. 

…Of course, I knew that. But to actually hear it from him…” He coughed. “I asked the Hokage to stop sending him. And the old man said, it was …Genma’s choice, …how to help the village.” Kakashi could hear the telltale sobs. The big man next to him was silently crying. His eyes drifted back to Genma’s still form on the bed.

Raidou coughed. “I…” He coughed again, “saw what that woman did to him on that isle in Ame. I saw what she had done to Sachiko Yamananka. And…” He stopped himself and it took the vigorous assassin a moment to collect himself again, and Kakashi understood. This was Raidous way of breaking down. Having to find his friend like this on that isle in Ame must have been one of his worst nightmares come true. Unsure of how to handle the situation, he just let the other continue his monologue with silent support. 

“Sachiko’s dead, Kakashi. And Genma almost died, too… I know this isn’t the first time for… that to happen to an ANBU-operative or shinobi. It wasn’t even the first time someone forced themselves onto him. I’m not naïve. We are shinobi. There is so much shit that happens to us every day, and we are trained to endure even more…. And… I admit I'm sick of it. I can’t do this anymore. All the time I was convinced that if anybody could survive these missions it was Genma. Because of his may-be-kekkei-genkai and his simple ...lust for sex. But when I saw him in that cellar in Ame, drugged and chained down and tortured and abused... What, if next time we don’t find him? Shinobi disappear all the time. 

And the damn Yamaguchi are after him, too.

Please… I beg you… as a friend… Ask the Hokage to stop sending him out on these of missions. It is enough. He did enough. The Hokage wouldn’t listen to me, but maybe he will to you.”

In the same night, Kakashi and Tenzou were called in for an S-Rank-Mission. In that same night, Kakashi asked Hiruzen to retrieve Genma from seduction missions. 

In that same night, the Hokage declined.

*~*~*

The women giggled, their seductive voices carried through the heat of the night, naked, beautiful bodies writhing gracefully on the soft pillows of the huge bed.

Kaitou's report sounded like a message from another world. But Gosaburo Tenji, who called himself Nibori Kenshin here in the Land of Wine, was used to direct his attention to the important, even with seven naked women's bodies surrounding his boss. It was just before 11 pm, and the lord of the castle was sitting comfortably in the middle of his big, soft bed. He had put his arms around the women, but he wasn’t thinking of them but of someone else. A glance at the clock was enough to increase his expectation and satisfaction. Kaitou could read everything in his body language.

The 40-year-old security chief ignored the bare, now somewhat overweight body of his elder employer and dutifully stared, with hands clasped behind his back, at Nibori's beaded face. 

Kaito paused, then, following his instincts, and turned to look at the window.

There, on the ancient stones of the castle window, sat a young man, one hand casually raised into a mock salute, his gold-brown hair tied back into a high ponytail, a blue kimono of expensive, thin fabric flattering the well-toned body, around the neck a shimmering and sinfully expensive collar.

Nibori smiled and gestured for Kaitou to disappear, and the chief of security bowed his head.

"Get out of here!" Nibori yelled almost indignantly, shooing the screeching women off his bed. His fleshy arms wobbled as if they were waving after them.

The women hastily gathered their scattered clothing and left the room giggling. Kaitou locked the door behind them, bowed once more to Nibori, and disappeared into his hiding place to keep watch over his master.

The young man at the window had just been waiting for this moment and stepped into the room. Self-Confident. Smooth. Almost like a cat. Always aware of the effects of his body. Both knew this. Because they had been playing this game for a while now.

The young man was a shinobi from Konoha, a trained assassin and spy. And today, on behalf of his village, he was on the road to get some information from Gosaburo.

And Gosaburo had big news.

"It's been a while," Genma said, a faint smile playing his lips as he stopped in front of the bed.

"Five months, to be exact," Nibori said, referring to the time when Genma was no longer visiting one of his properties. "I have not seen you in a long time. What was the reason you couldn’t be here the last few times? I was upset about the change. Or ... is it true? "

Genma simply ignored the question. He was unarmed and habitually used his fine senses to check the surroundings. He found five guards. The black-haired Kaitou was one of them. He had expected protection, but not that many.

He looked at the fat merchant, who wasn’t ashamed of his nakedness in the least. "What do you have to offer this time, Gosaburo? Or shall I say Nibori Kenshin here? You say you have something that will be of interest for Konoha ...in any case."

Nibori happily crossed his fleshy fingers in front of his broad chest, quite the businessman. 

"That is indeed the case, I am very glad, Konoha responded so quickly and sent you. I actually have three information. Two for Konoha and a very special one for you, Genma-kun."

That wasn’t good. If all information was relevant, how should Genma pay for all three? He lowered his eyes, there didn’t seem to be a different way. Today wouldn’t be an evening where Genma and Gosaburo simply played shogi and talked. His shoulder seemed to drop randomly and the loose, light fabric of his kimono slid off his shoulder, as reliable as ever, the faithful fabric ...

Gosaburo's eyes flashed and he watched inquisitively as Genma finally loosened the slender belt so that the other side of the kimono slid off his shoulder too and softly slid off Genma's upper body. Like that, presenting himself to the other's cool gaze that glided over his torso, he just stood there and let it happen.

"You've gained some scars...", he remarked. But even the fresh scars, the small cuts on the sides, and the bruises on the abdomen could not take away what Nibori so valued about the man. A made man, one of Konoha's deadliest ninja, and someone who was trained to use his body and handsome looks to gather life saving information. The new wounds only underlined his power.

"So it is true ...", Nibori muttered.

"What's the price?" Genma asked.

"The same as always," was the answer, "and more."

"And more?"

The merchant sat up in his bed and looked at Genma, sharply but calmly. "I want you to tell me what it was like to be in captivity for so long. Tell me about the details and you will learn the information. Two services for three pieces of information, I have to say, Konoha is doing pretty good business here."

Genma was silent for a moment too long and Nibori smiled. So the hardened shinobi wasn’t so professionally indifferent to what had happened to him recently...

"A lot happens in two months."

Gosaburo leaned comfortably against the wall of his bed. "I've got time."

"Time is money."

"I knew we’d find an agreement. And I promise you, you will love the last information."

"Then I cannot refuse." Genma's words sounded strained. Finally, he sighed and moved towards the bed. Nibori greedily opened his legs a bit so that Genma had room to climb on the warm velvet sheets as well.

The ninja moved toward him like a cat. Genma wouldn't waste any time in petting or even kissing - he disliked doing that to a man like Gosaburo or Nibori or whatever his name was, and these were not the things Nibori wanted him to do.

_'When a greedy man makes rich gifts, he often wants to keep the most expensive ones for himself.'_

Oh, how Hiruzen Sarutobi had been right about that.

The merchant had been already half hard the second Genma had presented his new scars long enough, so he crouched down in front of the man's broad, erect shaft, lowering his head near it, suppressing a sudden reaction to the rather disgusting smell. He heard the elder’s breath accelerate excitedly. Expectation. That was sometimes something that was better than anything else.

In his previous visits, Genma had never blown the merchant, it was usually fast, hard sex that got the businessman off, because what excited him most was the thought of having a trained Konoha killer underneath him. Especially after Genma originally had been sent to spy on him, meanwhile now it was Gosaburo who held the reins in his hand.

Power and dominance. That was all it was about. Genma played with this knowledge, and Gosaburo was smart enough to know that. And to enjoy it. 

If Genma blew the other now, he’d have some time to not have to use his mouth to talk as the other one wished. So he had a little more time to think about what he wanted to reveal and what not. It was one evil exchanged with another ...

Genma saw the wet tip of Nibori's cock right in front of him and nudged it with his nose. Teasingly. But at the same time with blatant power, and Gosaburo hissed in excitement. Then he took the tip in his mouth, closed his lips firmly around it and turned his head once, so Nibori moaned and threw the massive head back into the pillow.

"Fuck, yes ... that's it ..." Nibori closed his eyes in pleasure. He had imagined this moment many times. And yet it was completely different to be confronted with the reality. For the warm, electric tingling that was sporadically sent through his erect flesh was one of the tricks he might have suspected, but of which he could not have imagined what it would really be like if Genma applied it to him. Chakra pulses.

He was completely at the mercy of this shinobi. So he started to talk.

The first information was the planned raid by art robbers on the Summer Palace of the Daimyo. The rarest mineral in the world was about to be stolen - again.

While Genma rode the merchant's hard cock, wearing only the collar, hands buried in his own hair and his upper body bent sinfully backwards, Gosaburo told him about a man with the code name "Red". He suckled on Genma's nipples while the tokujou slightly leaned forward and buried his hands in Nibori's thick brown curls. Panting, the merchant blurted out that "Red" had built an empire for the Yamaguji-group in the Land of the Bears, infact, "Red" was the Oyabun himself, and - in addition to the usual mafia shit – was now underhandedly known to host the biggest arena fights – with animals and humans, mostly shinobi he put on his leash with a puppet seal.

Then they changed positions and Gosaburo pressed Genma's face into his soft pillows before kneading the muscular butt between his fingers, massaging the flushed and glittering hole with two, then three, fingers. Genma sighed into the pillow, tightening his knees to accommodate his hips to Gosaburo's waist, not too wanting, always over power play. Nibori pushed his penis between Genmas muscular thighs, grabbed the pelvis with both hands and rolled their hips together testingly. Next he leaned over the muscular back and brushed a few strands of hair from Genma's cheek. "You're driving me crazy," he murmured roughly in Genma's ears. "You're killing me."

The tokubetsu opened his hazel eyes and they seemed to glow in dark passion.

“I’d love to chain you down in my cellar and have you all to myself… But the Hokage wouldn’t let me..."

Genma winced involuntarily.

That was all that Gosaburo needed. With a groan, he pushed into Genma and immediately set a fast and hard pace, seeking only for his own climax. Genma's voice, his soft sighs or loud cries filled his ears and let him forget everything else until he spilled his seed deep into the other.

The third information.

Well, the third information was special.

Genma's voice sounded a bit hoarse now. He thought he withhold enough, but Gosaburo kept pushing for details. How did they catch him? - Lightning Jutsu. Very painful. - Why did they want him? - Revenge. Organized crime in Ame and nearby. Drugs. Human trafficking. Murder. He had approached the head of the organization cautiously, bit by bit. A hard-boiled kunoichi whose heart had hardened to stone long ago. He had almost made it. He could almost bestow all the nice information to Konoha. But only almost.

He hadn't been alone on that mission. His teammate had given herself away. She'd given away Genma’s identity under torture before he even took notice of her disappearance. Oh, what had the lady from Ame been angry. And oh, she had taken her time to devise a lot of new ways to let Genma feel her anger.

His teammate had become part of this scheme and hadn't survived. At this point in the story, Genma paused a moment to sip on the expensive Shochu Gosaburo generously had provided. It felt like reliving these horrible days. It felt terrible. But ANBU didn’t do feelings and he shrugged it off somehow, wondering, what that said about him. Lost in thought, the merchant's fingers wandered over Genma's damaged body. He had already taken the trouble to clean all traces of the past half hour with a fine cloth and fragrant waters.

Like every time.

And as always, Genma felt dirtier than before. But he could swallow it down again like it was nothing. It was just a job.

The wounds still hurt. Whether on purpose or not, Gosaburo had made them worse.

With a mental sigh, he put the cup back on the small tray. He knew what details Gosaburo desired most. He could see the greed burning unhidden in his eyes.

"You gave it to her good, right?"

The sudden and rude bluntness made Genma pause for a moment. In that moment, he could see the past few years when he had shared a bed for Konoha - with the merchant or other people. Yes. Konoha's very own form of prostitution. Raidou would be proud of him finally to see it like that.

_‘Like my mother before me, I’ll do everything for Konoha.’_ Those had been his own words. That's what he'd told the Hokage that day. And that's what he did. That's how he was.

He raised his eyes, smiling, changing Gosaburo's face into another in his mind. Oh the sweet freedom of thoughts...

"Yes." His voice sounded deep and sent a shudder down Gosaburo’s spine. "That's exactly what I did. And I made sure she loved every second of it."

The merchant shook his head, staring. "I bet..." A new expression appeared on his face. "Did she let you go? Afterwards?"

Genma cocked his head. "She couldn’t. Until I was found and retrieved by friends."

Gosaburo nodded and his fingers moved again over the contours of Genma's face. The tokubetsou leaned his head against it, eliciting a bright smile from the merchant. "You know ... _I_ passed this information to Konoha."

Genma shot him an unreadable look.

The merchant nodded. "As soon as I found out where you were. When Konoha did not send you to me when I asked for you, I had Kaitou do some research. You know he is very good at it. He found you. But he could only find rumors about what happened to you during that time. So they were true. I was rightly worried."

Genma's fingers closed around Gosaburo's wrist, stopping the greedy exploration. "That's not the third piece of information," he noted.

Gosaburo released his hand from the other's and sat cross-legged. "No. It’s not. This one was for free."

Genma was silent. Obviously, Gosaburo wanted to dramatize the moment as much as possible. So he gave him the time.

A smile divided the merchant's broad face. "Thank you for your words and your time. You did more than earn this information, Genma-kun."

He leaned to one side and shouted: "Kaitou!"

The security chief bodyflickered next to the bed, head bowed, eyes politely averted from Genma's naked body. "Hai, Nibori-sama!"

"Hand him over the scroll."

The jounin made a quick seal and touched a small symbol on his underarm protector. In a small puff of smoke a black scroll appeared and was immediately presented to Genma.

"What will I find inside?" the Konoha-shinobi asked.

Gosaburo's eyes gleamed in the dim light of the candles. "What I promised myself to find and to give you for about a year now. The whereabouts of your sister, Shiranui Michirou. She is still alive, Genma-kun."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it turned out so dark. Have to deal with some difficulties at the moment and this is one way for me to deal with it. Good old fanfiction


	11. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first scene in this chapter was one of the first scenes I wrote for this story. Maybe I put Kaitou into this story just for that scene... Kaitou is actually a nice guy. :) 
> 
> Last chapter for now, guys. Have to do some other projects and lovely work.

He knew he smelled like sex. And he knew that the one currently escorting him out of the castle could smell it too. Kaitou had witnessed the past hour with his own eyes – hidden somewhere, patiently and professionally guarding his boss.

To be able to do something like that on a regular basis (because Gosaburou loved sex) told Genma a lot about the other shinobi. Forty years old, handsome as hell with the black tattoos around the edges of these smart green eyes, framed by short dark locks, smart, incredibly resourceful and capable, hot stuff through and through, and, most importantly, jounin level…

Genma’s thoughts were racing. Michirou was alive. And now he knew where to find her. But how to free her was another thing. He was good, but not op-good like Kakashi, Gai or any other jounin. It was highly possible he’d fail if he’d go alone. He was in dire need of allies.

Next to him, Gosaburo’s handsome head of security, Kaitou Whatever-his-last-name-was, stole another glance at him. The older man knew how to be subtle, but for the moment he seemed to have chosen differently. Since their first meeting there had been a mutual attraction, and Kōmyō-sensei had always encouraged him to follow his instincts – as naughty as they might be. Especially when they were naughty.

They turned into another corridor and Genma could see the massive exit doors of the castle. He knew, the third door to the right would lead to a kitchen. It should be empty that late at night.

Kaitou had watched him blowing and getting fucked by Gosaburou, and Genma doubted he would have to try hard to convince the other. And he really wanted to get Gosaburou’s scent off of him. The best way to get rid of something disgusting was to cover it with something nice. And Kaitou had been an excellent lover that time in Kinata…

The other must have had the same idea, because when they reached the kitchen door, the jounin suddenly yanked him from his feet and into the empty room. They ended up with Genma’s chest being pressed into a big kitchen table, hands forced behind his back, one knee on the tabletop. Kaitou was pressing every possible inch of his body against the younger man, panting hot into his ear. A strong hand grabbed Genma’s, stretching his leg a little farther, hips nudging teasingly.

Genma groaned, laughed and closed his eyes. He loved to live. And he loved sex. If this was his addiction, he’d at least die a happy man. The feeling, when a planned seduction suceeded, it was incredibly arousing. "Having enough of just watching?"

Kaitou snorted. "When you looked at my hiding place with that leer I knew you weren't thinking of Gosaburo. And I wondered, if it was someone I knew in your mind..." This time, it was Genma who snorted with a grin, contently taking note of the way Kaitou's face lit up at seeing his smile. 

They didn’t speak at all when Kaitou shoved up the fabric of Genma’s kimono just high enough to reveal the round perfect ass cheeks. The jounin let his thump slide along the sensitive and still moist hole. Genma pressed his cheek against the cold table. The sound of something ripping and the moment of distance told Genma the other put on a condom. 

He was still sore and sensitive down there but also nicely loosened and still lubed. So he could barely suppress a contented shudder, when the other pushed inside with a smooth roll of hips. The sound of flesh hitting flesh had always done things to Genma’s mind, and he gasped when the jounin grabbed his hips tight and set for a solid pounding. 

The thrusts became more enthusiastic, shoving Genma’s body upwards every time. The table started to wobble from the force and Genma knew he’d have great difficulties walking afterwards. Also, the pain almost deafened the pleasure completely. He hated when that happened. His own erection started to soften. So he closed his eyes and willed himself to relax with deep breaths.

Kaitou stopped. Fingers threaded his hair softly and the jounin carefully pulled out. “I’m sorry,” he whispered apologetically, “I… lost control.” The head of security breathed in the smell of Genma’s hair, hands sliding beneath the kimono to roam the muscled sides soothingly. A crooked smile crossed Genma’s features when he looked back over his shoulder, too lazy to answer. Kaitou took a step back and lifted a green glowing hand. “Want me to ease it a little?”

Genma rose from the table to step into Kaitou’s personal space. With one swift motion he let the kimono fall to the ground. Kaitou’s eyes widened. Genma hooked one leg around the jounin’s waist to draw him nearer, grabbed the other’s free hand to take some fingers into his mouth softly biting the tips, while gently guiding the other glowing hand to his ass. 

Kaitou’s breath quickened and after a quick healing he urged Genma carefully backwards, finally grabbing both his thighs to lift him up. With a happy sigh Genma’s crossed his legs around the others waist and let himself be carried to the table again. He let his fingers ghost the muscled and scarred back and felt the other shudder. Then he leaned back on the table and spread his legs invitingly while nudging the sensitive head of the jounin’s member with the tip of his middle finger. “I want that inside of me…”

Kaitou’s lust-filled green eyes glared at him, one strong hand reaching out to push down Genma’s pubic, before carefully pressing in again. Genma moaned and arched his back, the wet sound filling his ears, desperately trying to find an occupation for his searching hands. The jounin guided his hand to his leaking member, wrapping his big hand around Genma’s to control the speed of the strokes.

A slow tempo, still powerful, still going deep, but it was so hot, that Genma almost lost himself in the sensation. Almost. “Trust me, …if you can,” Kaitou rasped between pants, “I’m not going to hurt you anymore… You're so gorgeous like this... Don't hold back anymore, let go, … Genma…”

And Genma wanted to. But he couldn’t. This was a mission, a fucking mission and this man was everything but a friend he could trust like... The thought alone let a fire spread in his stomach and threatened to burn his sanity and resolve away. Sex could make you desperate... When he looked at Kaitou, his face somehow turned into Kakashi’s, and Genma desperately touched the others cheek, writhing, moaning, sweating, longing…

He felt the heat build up in his stomach and tried to stifle his moans by biting his thump. 

“Let go, Genma…”, Kaitou urged. “Let go…”

“Please… Ka-…” Genma didn’t even know what he was begging for, he even almost let Kakashi’s name slip, but Kakashi sped up. Kakashi…? That did it for Genma. Pouring himself over Kaitou’s hand, he came with a strangled cry. Following closely behind, Kaitou thrust two more times before losing himself in the tokujou.

Panting, they didn’t move for a moment. Genma was still collecting his breath when Kaitou suddenly said: “Don’t ever come back to this place.”

Genma froze.

“I…,” A touch of concern crossed Kaitou’s green eyes. Then it vanished. “I don’t know if I can protect you any more from him.” He traced Genma’s face with the back of his fingers and tugged a strand of hair behind his ear. “He doesn’t deserve you. You are too good for him.”

“For whom…?” Was he talking about Gosaburou?

And Kaitou leaned in again, breath tickling Genma’s neck. “Red.”

~*~*~

Gyobue boredly poked the logs of their little fire. “Man. All we do is just waiting. What the hell is taking him so long?”

Raidou didn’t stir from his sitting position, his back resting against a tree, eyes closed. “Quit complaining and drink your tea.”

The chunin sneezed. “Damn it. I hope whatever Hitsuji found out is worth freezing my ass off.”

Raidou snorted. “Who cares about your ass.”

“Asshole.”

“Language. I’m still your superior.”

Kakashi hissed from his hidden spot in one of the tree and the two fell quiet.

Raidou silently rose to his feet, kunai ready, hand on the black sword on his back.

Soft steps could be heard, whispered voices, too. He recognized one of them immediately.

Then Genma appeared at their little clearing, accompanied by the threateningly powerful presence of Kaitou the thief. 

Genma’s steps were slow and cautious, Raidou noticed, hands already reaching for the salve he had asked Shizune to prepare. 

Kaitou turned to Genma and bowed. Raidou was sure something like regret just crossed the green eyes. Then the black haired jounin faced the Konoha shinobi, repeated his respectful bow and turned to leave.

Gyobue audibly exhaled. 

“Hey…” Raidou started, when Genma went past him, but the other stoically went on and vanished into the woods. Concerned, Raidou wanted to follow him, when Kakashi’s sudden hand on his shoulder stopped him. So Raidou stepped back, again, but held out a small scroll from his jounin-west and the ointment, and for a second time, reluctantly, let Kakashi handle things.

Gyobue audibly sniffed back his snot. “What the hell was that?”

Raidou started to pack his stuff. “Get ready in fifteen. And start drinking!”

The chunin snorted again before filling himself a cup of tea.

~*~*

The river was nearby. Kakashi could smell it even before the sounds reached his ears.

Genma must have known it already for he hadn’t hesitated. He left the trees behind and went straight to the riverbank, where he shed his kimono to step waist-deep into the water.

He just stood there in all his enticing beauty and stared into the pale eye of the full moon. The wind was cold and the water freezing, but he didn’t seem to notice it at all.

Genma jumped a little when he could feel warm hands on his shoulders and the raw armor of Kakashi’s ANBU-west softly touching his back. Genma’s head sank down and he closed his eyes, one hand finding the ANBU’s. 

“Kakashi,” he sighed silently, thankful for the other’s nearness. “Will you help me find my sister?”

There was a moment of silence. Then the hands squeezed his shoulders a little. “Yes.”

As simple as that.

And Genma smiled thankfully. “I’m glad you’re still there for me.”

In silent answer Kakashi pressed him against his solid chest. 

Genma sighed painfully and looked up into the beautiful night sky, Kakashi’s mask and silver hair tingling his cheek. 

Surprised, he noticed the small soap Kakashi held under his nose. “That’s not very romantic, Kakashi.”

The other didn’t react to the joking. “Do you need help cleaning?”

Genma snorted. “That dirt isn’t going to come off with soap alone. But you could do me a favor and burn that blue kimono over there. Would you do that for me? That would be very-”

While he had been talking, Kakashi had pressed the soap into Genma’s hands and had waded back to the riverside. Some fast hand signs later and a huge fireball lit up the expensive blue kimono and crumbled it to dust. 

Genma hugged his freezing body tightly, missing the copy nin’s warmth already, his back still turned to his friend. And allowed himself a moment of grief. He should have just asked Kakashi to help him long ago. And Raidou and Gai and Kurenai and the others…

Why hadn’t he? Why?

Then, under Kakashi’s watchful eyes, he let himself sink under the water.

When he emerged again, his eyes were filled with determination.

~*~*~


	12. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wahooo, action, action, action. Oh, and warnings: canon typical violence and overly dramatic moments.
> 
> And finally some answers, too.

Kakashi used the storage scroll to let Genma's fresh jounin-uniform appear - neatly folded. It only looked like that when Namiashi Raidou took care of clothes.

Raidou had also given him one of Shizune's healing salves. He put it on top of the clothes and got up to face a calm Genma.

"You feeling better now?", he asked, and Genma nodded and send him a lopsided grin.

"I just remembered, who I am and what I am capable of. And also how good it is not to be alone."

The special jounin reached for the ointment. His body looked like a single wound. He paused for a moment as Kakashi approached and held his open hand up. After a moment's hesitation, Genma allowed the jounin to apply the salve onto the more complicated to reach parts of his body.

Not everybody was willing to help with something like that. It was what only real friends did.

"My sister is in Yorokobi. Red has her. He is the Oyabun of the Yamaguji group. But I still don’t know why. And why he wants me in Yorokobi, too.”

"What if it has something to do with your dream?" Kakashi asked cautiously as he massaged Shizune's salve into Genma's tense shoulder blades. "What if everything started there? The Hokage seems to suspect a connection there."

"I'm sure the Hokage already knows what it's all about. But that secretive bastard doesn’t consider it important enough to inform me as well." He suddenly recalled Gosaburo's words, which had made it clear that the Hokage had in fact already protected Genma from the greedy merchant – though in his own way. Having a team as strong as Kakashi, Raidou and Gyboue on Genma's mission also spoke for itself. For a moment he felt guilty. Shinobi and secrets were like a natural law - why should the head of Konoha's ninja be an exception?

"This dream ... It's more than a dream. It's a memory." Kakashi said nothing. Probably because he already knew that much. "It is so vague and blurred; I don’t know what really happened that night."

"You were still a child."

"Yes, but ... Everything after that night is... blurred. Strange. Even Mom's sudden friendship with Higen Sarutobi was strange."

Kakashi hesitated for a moment. "Sudden friendship?"

"Hn," Genma feverishly racked his brain over what had happened. The more he tried, the more a singing headache radiated from behind his temple. "Since the fire he visited us more often. We didn't even know him before, had nothing to do with each other. Hm. Mom seemed to know him from work. But ... If something was conspicuous, then that my sister was able to make that black stone shine like a flashlight. But… what else is it supposed to do? A glowing stone is pretty, but ... I don’t understand why the mafia might need glowing stones." He snickered at the picture.

"Maybe it isn’t just a stone. Maybe it's a mineral with special features."

"That again? The subtle difference between minerals and stones?" Genma stepped away from Kakashi's warm hands and began to redress. It was damn cold, and he couldn’t wait to slip into the warm jounin uniform and feel the familiar weight of his weapons again. And a nice senbon between his teeth. At the same time, every movement was still a little hard for him and he was glad, Kakashi didn't say anything. If it came to a fight right now, he would be an obstacle. Hiruzen had sent along all that manpower for good reason. That bastard had anticipated, Genma would be slowed down by his last mission and …maybe even the visit at Gosaburo’s castle. And maybe he didn’t want to lose Genma so quickly again on a mission. Was that worrisome or reassuring?

That thought made him smile.

"There are many minerals whose features we don’t know yet,” Kakashi continued thoughtfully, “or hadn’t yet the chance to discover. Yorokobi is located in the mountains, there are countless caves and mineral sources. Is it known whether the mineral has any other features besides glowing?"

Genma hesitated as he remembered how pleasant the warm rays the mineral had emitted had felt. "My sister called it ‘Shiranui’. Funny enough. I'm pretty sure she came up with the name herself to feel important. The kids of the neighborhood weren’t able to make it shine, but said it was very pleasant to hold it. This is of course a special kind of mineral-madness: A rock that you like to hold onto and that sometimes flashes. Yeah, I can see why the mafia would want that."

Kakashi cocked his head. "A ‘Shiranui’ that one likes to hold on to, huh?"

Genma froze, a painful sting through his chest at this surprising parallel. "Nonsense," he murmured as he zipped up his jounin vest. He felt a strong urge not to pursue this unpleasant thought any further.

"Were you able to make it shine, too?" Kakashi suddenly asked.

Genma hissed at Kakashi’s pressing. He had no idea how that night had ended. He had no idea if he was ... a special person like Michirou. A painful headache pierced his brain and with a tortured groan he massaged the bridge of his nose. "I don’t know."

Kakashi studied the other's reactions closely. "Is it possible, someone has imposed a jutsu on you to block your memories of that night? What if it was you who blew up the estate and not your sister?"

Genma looked up, startled. He suddenly remembered how ANBU Ox had stretched out his hand to his forehead - with a cry he pressed a hand to his temple. "There is nothing. There is nothing. Nothing happened at night except that my sister earned her nickname."

"And how did she do that when she isn’t even able to use a single fire jutsu?"

Genma blinked again, clenching his teeth. It felt like an interrogation. Reluctantly, he faced the unnerving jounin. "I can’t do a single fire jutsu either. I’m a wind and earth type, as you know. Petroleum lamp, gas, take a guess, whatever. I don’t care what happened that night. But what I do care about is where she is now! And I'm sure she needs my help. Stop bugging me, Hatake, and help me find her!"

As Genma stalked back to the camp, Kakashi had his confirmation. Someone had altered Genma's memories of the night. Thus, the events, as Genma had described them and as they were briefly indicated in ANBU-Ox’s report, were completely uncertain. What had really happened that night? And what made this mineral, this 'Shiranui', shine or rather what was needed for the luminescent effect? If it did not work for everyone, something had to be given to activate a luminescence. All indications were, starting from Hiruzen’s research about this night to the origins of the Shiranui clan, that it was something that was within the Shiranui family.

Suddenly the Shiranui stopped and turned around to face the copy-nin again.

"Kakashi?"

"Huh?"

"Thank you."

Kakashi giggled maniacally and rubbed the back of his head, obviously embarrassed. "A-hahaha."

Genma snorted but couldn't help the warm feeling spreading in his chest. "Freak."

* ~ * ~

When they returned to the others, the camp was already packed up. Raidou looked up from his meditation pose under an oak tree and Genma felt as if the other was looking directly into his soul. He nodded at his best friend and Raidou nodded back. Mute support - at any time. Genma grinned at this bff-moment.

Gyobue rubbed his shaved and bald head, and behind furrowed eyebrows, brain cells were brainstorming diligently about what he might say to the Tokujou.

Before he could get an aneurysm, Genma let the new senbon clack between his teeth and tilted his head. "Ready to leave. But I would like to suggest a nice little detour-"

A branch cracked.

Then two things happened simultaneously.

The air rapidly filled with so much fog that one couldn’t even see their hand in front of their eyes. At the same time, ice spread across the floor and froze everything onto the ground.

The next moment a kunai with an explosion tag landed in their midst.

"Fu-" Gyobue's voice nearly drowned the hissing sound of the expiring timer.

Genma couldn’t move in time - he realized that his body was unable to access his normally very fast reflexes. He wouldn’t be able to dodge ... _'That's it ...'_

Raidou’s fist battered onto the ground with brute strength. Kakashi had escaped the ice jutsu per simple speed and fine hearing. Both Gyobue and Genma were dragged aside by their comrades just in time, and Genma swore he lost a good part of his shinobi sandals to that ice.

The blast of the explosion hurled him and Raidou through the thorny shrubbery and finally made them crash into a tree. Raidou blocked the force of the flames with his body and broadly smiled down at his best friend. "Stay back," was his simple instruction. Then he drew his black ninjato and rushed to a counterattack.

Genma saw the overwhelming majority of about twenty enemy shinobi in between the trees. A quick check with his senses, and he felt that most of them were rather chunin level, according to their amount of chakras. He recognized them as Gosaburo's men.

Kakashi gracefully swirled between the branches, kunai armored hands blocking countless shuriken which were hardly recognizable in the dark of the night. Then he had reached the first ninja and simply swept him away like a whirlwind. The next five he knocked over with a simple wind jutsu.

Raidou fought three swordsmen at the same time and had to fend off kicks and other attacks with his free left hand again and again. Genma spat his senbon through the night. It landed in the eye of one of Raidou's attackers. With a cry the man staggered back, only to be replaced by two more.

Genma staggered to his feet, the left hand automatically seized three senbon, the right a kunai.

A Kusarigami whirled through the air, threatening to loop itself around his neck. He raised his kunai and the iron chain lolled around it. Immediately, the flashes of an electronic jutsu hurried down the chain so fast that Genma went down with a cry.

The jutsu ebbed and a net landed on him. He tried to cut it with the kunai, but it was as if the thing was alive and he got tangled up in the net-jutsu until he wasn’t able to move anymore. He cursed, slightly depressed at his own helplessness. Now a super overpowered jutsu like most jounin could pull of would have come in handy. And he hated to be tied down. He really, really fucking hated-

Suddenly he was free again, the net fell away from him and crumbled like dust. The enemy shinobi toppled over with a groan and Kakashi emerged from behind the man, the bloodstained kunai still ready to strike again.

Genma might have fallen in love at the sight of his knight in shining armour. He decided to go for a manly nod instead and got up again. Immediately, five shinobi surrounded him and with a scream and his whirling staff Gyboue moved through their ranks to sweep them off their feet one by one. Smoothly the chunin went into an expectant fighting pose and beckoned the enemy with the rude middle finger to come closer. "Nobody but me is going to beat up this shinobi, understood?"

Genma snorted but joined the chunin’s side nonetheless. Raidou body flickered behind them to cover their backs.

Kakashi stayed where he was, probably at least one of his clones already inconspicuously making it’s the way to a better attack position.

"These are Gosaburo's men," Genma explained, eyebrows lowered. Raidou blew his breath in astonishment.

"What?" Gyobue shouted, glancing at Genma. "Why are they attacking us? You didn't bite off his dick, did you?"

Genma placed a new senbon between his lips instead of an answer. He eyed the shinobi in front of them. "What do you want?"

"Follow us back voluntarily, Shiranui Genma, and we'll let the others go!", one said, and five others of Gosaburo's men stepped out of the shadows to join their comrades, weapons raised threateningly. Like a small army.

"What exactly were you doing in that castle?" Gyobue whispered behind his hand.

Genma let his cervical vertebra crackle. "Been there already. I will not come back with you."

"While Kaitou-sama led you out, a new and urgent request arrived for Gosaburo-sama. Someone wants a certain product. This product is you."

"Charming to be referred to as an object,” Genma growled and let the head of his senbon point directly at the speakers face.

“This greedy, fat merchant can bargain somewhere else! He already had his chance! He better requests a new dick for himself, because I am going to cut it off with my bo-staff!", Gyobue exclaimed, and Genma frowned in amazement. Who would have thougth the chunin would defend him with such fire.

Well, the small miracles.

A shadow landed on one of the branches and the atmosphere suddenly became even more tense.

"Kaitou!", Raidou cursed. "And here I thought he would skip that fight.”

The green-eyed jounin took in the situation within a heartbeat. His hand suddenly flashed aside and a kunai killed Kakashi's shadow clone, which had hidden there.

"Change of plans, men. Gosaburo-sama wants him for himself." Kaitou pointed at Raidou. "Kenjutsu and taijutsu, special jounin." Then at Gyobue: "Big mouth, chunin level, stick fighting." About Genma he said: "Battered and thus almost incapacitated in close combat. Dangerous precision with senbon and poisons."

Genma grimaced at Kaitou's quick analysis. What a great security chief, always helping his men... 

Kaitou pointed to Kakashi at least. "Sharingan no Kakashi. I will take on that one."

At that, the copy-nin bared his red eye.

Thus, the pack was reshuffled and the fight broke out again.

Kaitou and Kakashi threw impressive and powerful jutsus at each other, whirling fast and like shadows through the night in a taijutsu fight, hitting each other hard every time their bodies met. It would have been impressive for Genma to watch, if he had the time.

Raidou now had to deal with five opponents, back to back with Gyobue, but so hard-pressed that he would not be able to hold that position for long.

Genma had gained some distance between himself and his enemies with the help of an earth jutsu and was able to disable one of them with a senbon and another two with kunai. But he could barely dodge as one jutsu after another was thrown at him in attempts to immobilize him.

He was panting with effort already. Just as an enemy ninja reached him, Raidou made a short-distance Hiraishin and drove his black blade into the opponent's kidney.

Gyobue knocked another down with his bo and Genma's next senbon embedded itself into another unprotected neck.

So the three held their opponents in check until suddenly and surprisingly a hand grabbed Genma's ankle and Kaitou shot from the underground in front of him. Instead of a direct attack he blew a fine powder into Genma's face and the Konoha-nin immediately felt weak and his eyes burned.

He staggered back a few steps, unable to dodge another Kusari Gama this time. It wrapped itself painfully around his legs and arms and send him to the ground.

Gyobue was at his side immediately and tried to loosen the chain, but had to turn around to fend off the sharp attack of a shinobi, who cut through his bo staff right at the middle.

Enraged, the chunin now used the two short sticks with both hands and let them crash down hard onto the poor attacker’s ears, who fell to the ground unconscious.

Behind him, another opponent jumped into attack, but Raidous's sword pierced his chest right in time.

Genma tried to escape from his shackles, but was still too dizzy and the fingers too numb to be fast.

He had no interest to end up as Gosaburo's trophy in a dark basement. Not at all. He had no interest to force his teammates into risking their lives for him.

A wave of hot air reminded him of the ninjutsu fight Kakashi and Kaitou were fighting not far away. Kaitou was damned strong and he even managed to use a clone against Genma while in a fight with Kakashi.

Genma's whole body ached, and he tried as good as he could to breathe that feeling away like he practiced in long hours of meditation. He felt the attacking shinobi before he saw him. Equipped with a fukuya, the enemy blew several thin arrows to Genma's position. Persistent…

Genma didn’t hesitate and made the exhausting hand signals for a short distance Hiraishin. Immediately he appeared outside the chains a few paces further to the left.

The opponent was startled long enough and Genma only needed that brief moment of hesitation. Three Kunai pierced the enemy's chest with such force that they whirled him in the air - the breaking of several ribs was clearly audible.

Genma looked around wildly. It looked like a stalemate. His intervention could therefore turn the tide in Konoha's favor. He had to make his move cleverly.

Suddenly, several orange explosions tore the air and shook the earth.

Genma almost lost his balance. One of Gosaburo's men stumbled to the ground.

An eerie silence settled on the battlefield. Genma was only able to hear a high-pitched tone for a moment, deafened by the explosions. Then he realized that they had stopped Kakashi's and Kaitou's fight.

A horrible stink wafted through the air and made Genma’s skin crawl. What was...

A figure had appeared on the edge of the clearing created by the struggle in the middle of the forest. A black, fluttering fabric, wrapped tightly around the long, dry limbs ...

Genma involuntarily took a step back and aimed his weapons at the new enemy. He knew the feeling. It was the ... creature from Kinata. The thing that ... was in service of Red. It seemed Red didn't agree with Gosaburo wanting to keep Genma for himself.

"Another scorned lover we should know about, Hitsuji?", Gyobue asked uncertainly.

The creature raised a clawed hand with a small black ring on it, and without warning, a beam of bundled, orange light shot at the chuunin and hit him across the chest. Immediately, the chunin shrieked in a terrible high-pitched voice, the body fell to the ground in pieces and burned to ashes before Raidou’s water jutsu could help him.

The chunin was dead. Only ashes were left of their comrade, washed into mud by the water. 

Within seconds…

The creature raised his hand and pointed a thin claw at Raidou next.

Genma's eyes widened. "No..."

Once again a beam of blazing light shot out of the ring, so fast that Genma was sure it would be impossible to dodge. But Raidou, having survived many, many battles, had already expected the attack and had thrown himself to the side. Only his left upper arm was pierced.

Flames burned on his clothes, but the special jounin emptied his water bottle so quickly over his shoulder that they went out fast.

Raidou sent Genma a haunted look. The thing was totally overpowered!

It was hard to see under its hood, but the creature seemed to be looking at Genma now, raised a clawed hand and beckoned him to come nearer.

A combination of lightning and water jutsu hit the thing like a bomb.

Genma squinted to get a better look. He was surprised to see the squatting figures of Kakashi and Kaitou in front of him, their hands still raised in the position for their combined jutsus.

Immediately, they sent another attack - this time a fire and earth jutsu - afterwards. The earth jutsu enveloped both the victim and the fireball and became a boiling hot stove.

The earth was glowing and parts of it began to melt like lava.

Raidou stepped up to Genma's side and nodded determinedly, hands free and ready for a ninjutsu attack, shoulder bloodied and shredded.

Genma reached for a poison-soaked senbon and got ready himself.

In front of him he saw the two jounin, the uniforms sunk and blackened. Apparently the thing had attacked them first, wanting to get rid of them fast. It couldn't have known that in case of survival it would cause them to turn against it instead of themselves.

And they worked together breathtakingly well. As if on a secret sign, both started to ran, their hands already preparing the next attack.

A claw burst through the earth into the open and bit by bit the creature pulled itself out of the mound which should have been his grave. An orange glow surrounded it before fading again.

Kakashi sent a series of kunai with attached explosion- tags at the creature, which wiped a hand through the air and created a luminous chakra wall.

Shortly thereafter, Kaitou sent in a series of self-duplicating shuriken.

The creature repeated the chakra-wall gesture, but stumbled as one of Kaitou's underlings created a sheet of ice around the creature's feet, holding it on its place.

Ingloriously it lost its balance. With a furious hiss and a few finger signs, the creature struck a claw onto the ice and sent back an orange lightning jutsu to the poor ninja, which both melted the ice on the ground and charred the man on the spot.

Raidou had taken the moment of distraction and used a short distance Hiraishin to appear directly behind the thing and drive his black sword through its back.

Before the thing could turn around, Raidou was already out of reach and the two jounin's blazing lightning and fire jutsus struck the creature in form of tigers and dragons, followed closely by several kunai with explosion tags. Orange-colored light mingled with the flames before they quenched twitchingly.

The explosion blinded Genma and he had to close his eyes. The gust of wind drove him back several steps. Then he suddenly felt a claw on his shoulder and a tingling numbness spread from his neck. His legs gave way under him and he fell into the scrawny claws of the creature. It was panting in exhaustion and its clothes were scorched in many places, revealing deformed and blistered skin.

It seized Genma's hand with relentless force and pressed it against the ring on its hand. The black stone there immediately began to glow from within, sending energy impulses through the being that even the astounded Genma could feel.

It was almost as if the battery of the ring was recharged. By him.

Kakashi appeared above the creature and sent a chakra-reinforced kick to the head of the thing to get it off his friend. But instead of being too dizzy to notice him - like only heartbeats before - it reacted with lightning speed and blocked the powerful attack with an almost casual gesture.

Kaitou emerged from the underground and hurled Genma away. He rolled like paralyzed against a tree, while the creature threw Kakashi in the opposite direction, where he slashed through the bushes and several trees and disappeared somewhere into the undergrowth.

Next Genma felt Kaitous's hand against his neck and a little prick where the jounin - hopefully - administered some antidote to him … He could feel life returning to his body slowly.

Gosaburo's head of security gestured to his remaining shinobi to inform them of the next coordinated plan of attack, while Raidou took position to defend Genma with his ninjato and a kunai.

A concentrated attack from all shinobi followed at the same time, in which even Raidou added a powerful fire jutsu.

And yet it wasn't enough. The attacks became more and more grim, but they bounced off the orange wall of chakra without causing any damage. The ring on the creature’s hand glowed as if alive, stronger than ever.

"The ring! Cut it off!", Raidou shouted.

So everyone concentrated on that task, but they were not getting any closer to the creature.

"Sooner or later, the energy will be used up!", Kaitou shouted as he was throwing up a protective earth wall to stop the creature's orange counterattack.

A heartbeat later the wall crumbled under the power of the thing’s roundhouse-kick.

Surprised, Kaitou backed away, but stumbled over a root on the ground and was grabbed by the neck. The creature's clawed hand pierced through his belly with a furious stroke.

Then it threw the jounin away like an annoying bug, already searching for the next threat.

Kaitou's men hesitated, eyes wide, startled. As fast as lightning, the beam of orange light slid through the air and burned five of them instantly.

Then the creature stepped aside and Kakashi's chidori slithered uselessly into empty space. It grabbed his hand and twisted it so that the wrist broke with a loud crunching sound. With a cry Kakashi became as pale as a sheet. The creature stared down at him, and the red sharingan stared back.

The thing staggered in surprise, grabbed its head, and sagged down like a potato sack.

Groaning, Kakashi rolled onto his back and held his broken wrist.

Raidou was immediately at his side and gently helped him to sit up. Then both of them were hit the creature’s kick. It had just risen up again. Immediately, another overpowered kick followed, which pressed them both to the ground and deeply dented and tore the surrounding earth. Raidou's rips broke.

The remaining two of Kaitou's men were burned while trying to attack the thing from behind - the creature didn’t even have to look.

Furious, it stomped to the two Konoha-shinobi in front of it and raised the ring-armed hand.

"No!" Genma shouted, doing the only thing that seemed possible with his paralyzed body: a short-distance Hiraishin straight into the attacking lane.

Turning his back to the thing and shielding his friends with his body, Genma could exactly see the look in Kakashi's wide-open eyes. He smiled at the copy nin and simply shrugged before the beam hit his back from short distance.

~ * ~

The smell of burnt material unpleasantly penetrated Kakashi's delicate nose. The expected flames on Genma's body were confined to a small circle at his back where the uniform was burned away by the rays.

Otherwise, Genma had miraculously remained unscathed.

The special jounin blinked in surprise. "What-?" Even before he finished his sentence, his trained reflexes kicked in and let him spin around just to pierce the creature's ring-reinforced greedy hand with a kunai.

With all his might and chakra, he pushed himself against the creature to keep it away from his friends.

Then he suddenly smirked. "I think you were right, Kakashi."

The addressed man could barely feel anything except pain, let alone understand Genma's humor at inappropriate times. Raidou was unconscious and buried him with his massive body underneath him. "About what?", he pressed out laboriously.

"It's a mineral. Not a stone. My sister is able to make it shine," he let go of the kunai and lightning fast dodged underneath the long arms. "And I am too!" With these words, he grabbed the ring and it flared up like a sun. The thing hissed and Genma felt the unruly power and the strong, warm chakra emanating from the ring. He tapped the energy source and strengthened his muscles. Painfully, he twisted both of the thing’s arms behind its back. It screamed furiously and wriggled - but in vain.

"Besides ... I think you were right about the other thing as well," Kakashi frowned at Genma's cryptic words, "It wasn’t my sister who blew up our house that night." He tightened his grip on the stone and the rays shone even brighter. "It was me. I remember now. I overloaded the stone. And that’s what I’ll do now too."

With that amount of chakra, it was easy for Genma to do the Hiraishin one-handed and to teleport himself and the creature away from the others and to the river, where he immediately clasped the mineral with both hands. His hair flared orange, his eyes shone in blazing light, and next, an explosion tore the air more than all the jutsus of that day, leaving nothing behind but dust.

~ * ~

_ In a blazing explosion, the side wing of the small Shiranui estate tore apart._

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_Shocked, Mei Shiranui startled awake. Her husband Kennouske was already opening the door, and they both ran to Michirou's bedroom. Only, that it wasn’t there anymore._

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_"No! Michiru! Genma!" Mei shrieked in a panicked voice. Dark smoke bit her eyes. "Where are you?"_

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_Kennouske made a series of finger signs and gently blew the smoke away, but fueled the occasional fires even more._

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_"Stop that!" Mei cursed. "We need water. Michirou! Gen-"_

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_She stopped when she saw the two small and black bodies of her children in the middle of the former room. "No.. No…." With trembling legs she hurried to their side. Her legs gave away, and she went down next to Michirou, gathering her small form into her arms. "What ... what's happened here ... What?" She turned the girl into her lap. With the gentleness of a mother she wiped the girl's cheek, distributing the soot more than dissolving it. "Michirou ... Genma ... No…"_

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_Genma had his hands pressed protectively over his ears. His clothes were completely burned and his skin black with ash. The same fate had befallen Michirou. "What have you done…"_

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_A tear fell from Mei's cheeks onto Michirous face. Ash collected in it, revealing undamaged skin and finally rolled off the girl's cheek._

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_"M-mom?"_

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_"Michirou ... Michirou," she shrieked, cradling her daughter in her arms, crying. "You’re alive. You’re alive… What happened here?"_

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_Genma opened his eyes, which he had previously squeezed shut tightly. He blinked a few times and looked around in astonishment. Then he started crying. "Mama ... I cannot hear anything, Mama!" Since he could barely hear his own words, he cried even more._

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_Kennouske hugged Genma and stroked his hair comfortingly. "Sh. It's all good. Everything will be alright. You were too close to the explosion. You’ll be fine. You’ll both be fine."_

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_Relieved, both parents understood that their children were miraculously unharmed._

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_Neighbors were already flicking on the lights and voices could be heard. Help would arrive soon._

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_"What happened, Michirou?" Mei urged again, sharper this time, forgetting about her own tears. Even if Michirou's ears had to ring, she had to know what had happened._

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_"I ... Mom, I ..." Michirou started to cry. Protectively, Mei pressed her daughter closer to her chest and buried her face in the sooty hair of the little one. Her grip was firmer than necessary. But she was scared. Scared. What if she had lost her children?_

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_"Tell me, Michirou. What happened?" _

~ * ~

The only thing remaining at the river was the lone figure of Genma, in a huge crater of the empty riverbed. His clothes were almost completely burned and shredded. The creature was destroyed, the mineral with it. Lost in thought, he looked at his blackened hands. He now completely remembered the night 15 years ago. He had touched the stone, it had begun to glow somehow, and the stone had exploded, blowing up half of the family home. Michirou and Genma were unharmed. But it had been him who had caused the explosion. Not his sister. Kakashi had been right.

~ * ~

_ "Tell me, Michirou. What happened?"_

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_"I ... It was the stone, Mom. The one who shines. And Genma ..."_

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_Mei held her breath. The merchant’s stone? But Michirou had given it back, right...?_

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_"The merchant gave me one as a present. In secret. And ... and it did not shine for the kids of the neighborhood but only for me ... But with Gen-Gen, it ... His eyes shone, all of his hair, too ... and the stone ... the stone exploded ... Just like that ..."_

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_Mei’s hands began to tremble. The Shiranui Curse! Slowly she raised her face, looked first at her husband, then at her son. Kennouske's expression was unreadable. Genma’s hands desperately clutched his ears, his childish eyes filled with fear and incomprehension. He could still hear nothing and anxiously whimpered to himself. He had just turned six, how could he possibly understand what had just happened? But she did. And she understood one thing very well: something threatened her children. And that she would never allow._

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_She created two shadow-clones and a little later they returned with blankets, which she carefully wrapped around her naked children. She would protect them. Come what may._

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_A shinobi from the neighborhood put out small fires with controlled water jutsus, and an ANBU unit landed in the ruins of the former room and established order. One of them joined the two parents, who were still cradling their frightened children._

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_Mei's hard eyes turned to him. "ANBU-san, I have two requests. I beg you: Delete my son's memories of this night. And then go hunt down the merchant. He was at Konoha's market today trading minerals. He puts the lives of my family in danger. His name is Gosaburo Tenji. Find him and kill him. Please ... Higen."_

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_ANBU-Ox knelt beside the weeping Genma. Then he turned back to Mei. "I cannot erase memories. But I can make sure that he will deny the events. Denial. That's all I can do."_

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_"Then that must be enough."_

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_"About the merchant..."_

__

__

_"Please ... Higen ... It concerns the safety of the whole Shiranui clan. You have to find him!”_

__

__

_"I'll see what I can do, Mei, but I might not be fast enough." Then he put his hands on Genma's forehead. _

~ * ~

Genma tilted his head back. _‘Denial, huh? So it was you, 'uncle' Higen? And you didn't catch the merchant in time? Is Gosaburo actually the beginning of this whole story?’_

A movement drew his attention to the edge of the forest. The air seemed to flicker and Genma suddenly knew that an odorless, invisible gas soaked the surrounding air. 

It had been him that had helped her develop it.

The world blurred and his legs gave way under him.

The blue of the morning sky was suddenly everything he could see.

Then the contours of a face. But so, so familiar. Brown hair, a messy ponytail. His chakra flared briefly against hers, as they had done so many times before, even if her chakra somehow felt less this moment, and ... muffled.

"Michirou ... Finally… I ... found ..."

Then everything went black.


	13. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The scene at the beginning and also the flashbacks in the last chapter were originally written as a prologue, that's why they show more of Mei's point of view and explain more than Genma could know. But I left it how it is insted of adjusting it.
> 
> The mineral-thing is a bit crazy but I always liked overdramatic lightshows in animes (I grew up with Sailormoon ^^°). And ever since watching Bloodsport (with Jean-Claude Van Damme) as a kid I wanted to write something with arena fights and gambling. And also because I studied history among other things. ;)

It was around noon at the Konoha-market place, which was especially crowded today. 

The small girl dragged her mother behind, packed with a heavy looking basket full of fruits and vegetables, to a certain market stall which seemed to be new. Here a man in his early forties was selling different kinds of stones and cheap jewelry, as it seemed. The mother rolled her eyes. Of course everything shiny drew her daughter and obviously other young children to the stand like moths to a light.

With the trained eyes of a kunoichi the mother analyzed the situation. She couldn’t quite put the finger on it but her instincts told her to be cautious about this merchant, who was already entertaining a small crowd of children no doubt planning to sell the blinking stones overpriced. Whatever they were. 

Her daughter, filled with absolute wonder, read aloud the different names written on small papers next to every piece. The merchant took the moment to gather some stones in his palm and presented them to the young girl and the other kids, earning big “oh”s. 

“Look, mom. There are so many, and they have so many colors. Some of them look like glass.”

“Probably because they are, darling. Come on now, Michirou, I want lunch to be ready when your brother comes home from the academy. Give the man back his… stones or whatever they are.” She turned around and grabbed Michirou's small shoulders. 

“Wait, mom. I don’t want to let them fall. Thank you, mister merchant.”

“You are welcome, you polite young lady.”

Michirou’s eyes were glued to the different stones still on the table, trying to stay and stare a little longer. “Oh, and this one even has our name on it. Oh mom, we have to buy it…”

The kunoichi froze for a second. She slowly turned around and read the sign her daughter pointed out. Shiranui.

The merchant had listened attentively and immediately took the black stone between two fingers to hold it into the light. The sun didn’t fall through the deep blackness of the strange but beautiful material. “An interesting stone for a beautiful lady? The ‘shiranui’ doesn’t look special on the outside, but on the inside there is a glow,” he whispered secretively. “I, Gosaburou Tenji, know what I am talking about.” Before Mei Shiranui could stop him, he let the stone drop into Michirou’s open palm. 

The moment it touched the girl’s small hand it started emitting a strong orange glow. Warm rays blindingly but at the same time calming glided over the marketplace, causing shocked outcries.  
Mei Shiranui immediately stepped forward and slapped the stone out of her daughter’s palm, bringing Michirou behind her, a kunai pressed threateningly at the merchant’s adam’s apple.

The man’s eyes nearly fell out of their sockets, but Mei couldn’t say if it was because of the stone or because of the kunai. Sweat was rolling down the sides of his face. “My lady, please…”

“What was that thing?”, Mei demanded in a dangerously low voice, even though she already knew. And it frightened her more than anything. She could barely breathe let alone hold the kunai without trembling. But a talent for play lay in the family - among other clan traditions.

“It was… it was just a trick. For merchandising. Nothing dangerous, I swear. I wouldn’t want to harm your daughter or anyone else…. Doing something dangerous in the middle of Konoha would be more than a little…-” he glared at the pick of the kunai “suicidal. Wouldn’t you agree, my lady?”

One of the boys standing nearby chose the moment to pick up the black mineral, which had stopped glowing immediately when it left Michirou’s hand. Nothing happened. The mineral stayed black.

“It’s broken,” the boy said disappointed. “Michirou broke it.”

“Nothing to worry about. Give it to me, I will fix it.” 

Mei subtly noticed the merchants haste to get the stone back and wrap it into a handkerchief, a decision about the matter already forming in her head, memorizing the man’s face.

“We are leaving!”, she said sharply, suddenly very tense, herding her daughter in front of herself and away from the foreign man.

“No, Mum! Please!”

“I said no!”

A crow-masked ANBU suddenly appears next to Mei. “Is everything alright?”, he asks.

The moment Mei was talking to the ANBU, demanding to search the dubious man and his stuff, the merchant leaned in to little Michirou and put something wrapped in a handkerchief into her hand. “A gift,” he whispered conspiratorially and with an exaggerated blink. “This will be our triple s: our super secretive secret.”

Michirou smiled brightly, nodded enthusiastically and mouthed a thank you, hiding the mineral in her pocket like a treasure.

At that moment, the Yamaguji-family had not only found the Shiranui Clan again but also at least one possible person to activate the Sōsu. And because Gosaburo was able to leave Konoha in time to meet with Kaitou and deliver this information, he survived and was responsible for the fate of not only Mei Shiranui but her daughter Michirou as well. And somehow even Genma’s.

*~*

He could feel the rough scratching of a blanket against his skin. Someone had wrapped it so neatly around him he could barely move. But his muscles were much too weak to function normally anyway. He had developed some immunity to the gas, Michirou had tested it often enough on him when they were young and searching for the best formula to extend the Shiranui Clan formula, but it had never lost its strong effect on him.

Blurry, he could see as someone knelt over Kaitou's body, a green glowing hand on the jounin's abdominal wound.

The next time he opened his eyes, he saw someone put Raidou down next to Kakashi. Both motionless, and, Genma hoped desperately, unconscious and not dead. Several hooded shinobi were surrounding them. A weapon reflected the sunlight, too close to Raidou, too close to Kakashi, too close to their hearts, too close, piercing uniforms ... 

"No ...!" He mumbled. "No! Leave them ... No! "

The man at Kaitou’s side raised a hand and everyone seemed to freeze in motion. He turned to look at him, but Genma didn't’t recognize the face. It was early morning and the light was almost unbearable, stabbing painfully through the eyes and into Genma’s brain. "Leave them ...," he slurred.

The Tokujou tried to roll over and get up, but a strong hand on his shoulder stopped him. This little resistance showed to be too much for him. He slumped back weakly, knocking his head on the ground. Blurred, he saw the outline of the person who had knelt beside Kaitou suddenly right next to him. Had he been unconscious for a moment? He hadn’t noticed.

"And what will you give me in return for their lives, Shiranui Genma?", the man asked.

Genma's brain worked feverishly against its drug-drowned prison. He had no idea. He had nothing to give. He already was their prisoner. But he couldn’t let his best friend and the man he ...liked ... die here before his eyes. Information. He needed information, so he could push his luck... Or at least try to. "What do you want?"

"Your approval for everything I do and desire."

Chains again. Invisible chains, weighing him down, pressing him into mud and drowning him within it. A simple answer but worse than so many alternatives ... But then again, what about Raidou and ... Kakashi ... "Not for ... the murder of ... them ..."

Maybe the man smiled. Maybe he didn’t. It was so hard to tell. All blinking didn’t help, Genma's pupils kept drifting away, in vain trying to focus on the man in front of him. But there was one thing he knew for sure: The difference in power between them was so great that Genma could feel his own fear to his teeth. He didn’t want to submit to this dangerous man. Every survival instinct was screaming at him. He didn’t want to give his consent for everything the other did or wanted, whatever that meant. Such a simple request contained far too many possibilities for exploitation.

"The lives of the men on this clearing for yours."

Genma's head fell to the side without his will, his tired eyes closing after one last blurry look at Kakashi and Raidou – in an attempt to remember them. Maybe he would never see them again after today... Most likely he would never see them again. It all came to this moment. The last few months, the ups and downs with the ingenious and sexy Kakashi, the stoically reliable friendship with the loyal, tea-loving Raidou in their twin outfits ... The secrets about the abilities of the Shiranui clan and their ties to the Land of Bears, where the Shiranui clan originally had its roots ... He had reached the point he wanted to achieve. His sister was there, pressing his shoulders relentlessly to the ground, pinning his tired body into the mud. If he agreed, he would be with her. He would also save his friends. There was only one word left. And like his mother before him, he would do anything to protect his comrades. For a moment, the puppet- seal on Kurenai's shoulder flickered like a warning before his eyes, but that moment of doubt was wiped away as he remembered she too was safe back in Konoha. So he accepted the mental chains while the sun stung into his burning eyes.

"Okay, ... Red."

"Okay. Genma. "

*~*~*

With a groan Raidou came to and struggled into a sitting position. His head was hammering as if an angry elephant had trampled on it. First, he vomited, noticing in passing a superficial but painful stab wound directly over his heart as well as several painfully broken ribs. When he finished, he remembered where he was. And why. He flinched and regarded the remnants of the debris field around him. The forest was deformed, trees uprooted or destroyed, a craggy lunar landscape reminiscent of the fierce battle of the previous night. The sun hung relatively low - it had to be late afternoon. When he heard soft footsteps, he numbly fumbled for a kunai and looked to the side.

A heavily battered, deathly pale Kakashi stood there, his broken and heavily swollen wrist pressed to his chest. It had to hurt like hell. Actually, the jounin looked like he was about to collapse any second.

Raidou grimaced. He couldn’t do medical jutsu. He was a wreck himself. Shizune had insisted that her team kept the basics of first aid fresh in mind, but...Kakashi’s broken wrist and the several other wounds looked way too severe for his poor skills. They needed help. And a lot of lovely painkillers... Immediately. "We ... have to put your arm into a splint... but ..." He got to his feet and immediately fell back as a sudden dizziness seized him. His upper arm hurt like hell where the orange chakra of the thing had hit him along with his ribcage. The wound was still bleeding and Raidous's healthy hand clumsily searched for the blood pills in his pocket. Kakashi gave him one without a comment and the special jounin accepted the small thing with a grateful nod. As he chewed on the ghastly-tasting ball and had to put up with not being able to do more at the moment than sit and chew for the time being, his searching gaze found Gosaburou's groggy head of security leaning against a burned tree trunk.

Kakashi silently followed his gaze and Kaitou studied them with his disturbingly green eyes.

He looked haggard, breath coming out fast, and completely disheveled. An arm lay over his stomach wound. Raidou was surprised that the jounin was still alive.

"You won’t get far without medical help," the black-haired man commented in a surprisingly calm voice.

"Neither will you," Raidou said, gritting his teeth. "What happened here? Where are Genma and the creature?"

Kakashi looked in the direction he could vaguely make out Genma's smell. North-East. He wasn’t able to summon Pakkun at the moment. The chakra pill he was chewing was not enough for that. 

"Genma overloaded the ring and blew it up," Kakashi explained absentmindedly.

"What kind of ring was that?", Raidou asked, not without a hint of anger in his voice.

Kaitou let the back of his head drop tiredly against the tree, mouth squeezed painfully. "The mineral on this ring has many names. The oldest is probably Hakkō, which means luminescence. Some also called it Shiranui. For a few years now it is sold on the black market as Sōsu, as a source. If it comes into contact with a certain type of earth chakra, the mineral charges itself and serves as a chakra enhancer."

Raidou processed the information. "Genma uses earth and wind. So he can activate it? "

Kaitou nodded. "Many shinobi with the ability to use the earth elemental chakra can activate it, but it consumes it permanently. It ... it costs more power than they gain back. However, if a mineral has already been recharged and provided with a sealed enclosure, such as a ring, it reinforces every jutsu and ... makes you feel a sense of euphoria and invincibility..."

"You speak from experience?", Raidou asked.

"When you use the Hakkō, the body gets used to it and demands more and more. It is…"

"...a drug," Kakashi finished, and Kaitou nodded in agreement.

"Yes. A drug. With highly addictive potential. The mafia in Yorokobi is making a lot of money with it. It is said, the better a shinobi, the less addictive it is. Supposedly the addictiveness at least at a chunin level is not quite as strong or at least easier to control."

"Is that true?" Raidou asked, as Kaitou didn’t continue.

The jounin shrugged weakly. "If I'd wanted to make money with it, I would spread such a rumor to the world. But ...," his gaze slid thoughtfully to Kakashi," I think it's partially true. Some never become addicted. Again, it seems to be quite random, depending on how your own chakra is constructed. But that's just my theory."

"So, a kekkei genkai," Raidou mused. It was obvious his thoughts were racing. He tilted his head back and blew out some air. "Could it be that the Shiranui have a similar effect as the mineral? To at least some people with whom they are in contact?"

Kaitou nodded again, reluctantly. "When they touch you with their chakra, the effect begins. I didn’t know who Genma was, back in Kinata. From then on it was already too late for me. 

Gosaburo never had a chance. And after Genma used on him the Shiranui Chakra tonight ... Well ...

After I delivered Genma to you and returned to Gosaburo, I could see it. He had succumbed to the Sōsu, without ever having held a charged mineral directly in his hands. Just by the touch of Genma's chakra. Just like that kunoichi on the isle in Ame, who held Genma prisoner for two months instead of killing him like the Yamananka girl.

I… put a lot of effort into researching Genma after Kinata…"

Raidou felt nausea rising. Many things in the recent years suddenly made sense, others scared him. He had never felt as if Genma had influenced him. Did that mean he was immune, or did that mean that Genma could consciously or unconsciously control the influence of his chakra? And what did that say about the relationship between Kakashi and Genma? Was it started non-consensual? But ... Kakashi had never made the impression that he was more crazy over Genma than necessary. Did that mean that Kakashi was also immune? Kaitou's previous comment seemed to share this point of view. Raidou's head was spinning. It was too much. He could only speculate right now. It was all way too much to take in. But one thing he knew for sure: he simply couldn’t stop blindly trusting his best friend. He just knew that Genma had never exposed him to the addictive side of the Shiranui Chakra. And he was pretty sure only Genma's enemies had felt it. That was right now ... the most pleasant speculation....

"Are you part of the Yamaguji family?" Kakashi suddenly asked, certainly having already made his own calculations about what he had heard, and Kaitou nodded affirmatively.

"Yes. Since my birth. Gosaburo was also a member. For years, he was traveled countries as a scout, disguised as a merchant, to track down shinobi with the ability to activate Sōsu without burning out. Since the Shiranui Clan left the Land of Bears with the founding of Konoha, there was no one left with these skills. It wasn’t known where the Clan had moved to and whether it still bore the same name. That's why Red sent scouts across the lands to find shinobi with this ability. And one day he met the Shiranui clan in Konoha. That's when Gosaburo’s career started. Michirou was able to activate the Sōsu, as was her mother. She guessed what it was and tried to protect Genma, because his skill with the Sōsu is... limitless. She even tried to draw the attention from him to his older sister by imposing the fire of the estate as her fault. But…

It wasn’t enough.

I met Mei Shiranui before the Sōsu slowly drained her and left only the shadow of the proud kunoichi behind. I saw Michirou Shiranui climb up the ranks of my family and the moment, Red understood that she was the girl Gosaburo had found in Konoha those years ago. But even she ... couldn’t make the Sōsu shine limitless. She too will be extinguished as a source one day. But at some point Red got her so far that she ... she told him about her younger brother. Genma Shiranui. Who, at the first contact with the Sōsu, had charged the mineral so much that it exploded - overloaded by a simple touch. That has ... never happened before."

Kaitou rubbed the aching tattoos around his eyes, lost in thought. "When Gosaburo made friends with the Daimyo, and we found out Genma's name, I knew who we had found. But ... I was ...," he laughed dryly," already fatally attracted to him... He's had me since Kinata ... on his side ... So ... I tried everything to protect Genma from Red. I hid his identity. But one of my men ... reported to the Oyabun directly. And he sent the creature..."

"What _is_ that thing?"

"I can only guess."

"Then guess," Raidou urged.

"I ... guess it's from the time Red commissioned the Sannin Orochimaru to test the effect of Sōsu on shinobi with at least earth chakra ability. It's ... an experiment. It was an experiment. Genma destroyed the creature by overloading it's Sōsu ring."

"Does it cost Genma to do that?" Raidou asked worriedly, but Kaitou shook his head.

"No. His limit to use the Sōsu is estimated as ... not measurable."

"So how did they capture him...?"

"Like us, too. The lab department of the Yamaguji constantly invents a lot of interesting stuff, others are bought or otherwise ... acquired: the transport jutsu, drugs, invisible gas,...

They now have Genma. Who knows what's next to come…"

For a while everyone was silent and Raidou finally nodded to himself as he absent-mindedly touched the wound over his heart. "We need health support, and then we'll head to Yorokobi. Are you in?"

Kakashi nodded silently, but Kaitou shook his head.

"I can’t."

"Gosaburou ... -"

"-is probably dead. The Oyabun will not overlook his stubbornness again. You and the creature wiped out his army of guards. And I can’t accompany you."

"Why not?" Raidou asked, narrowing his hazel eyes. "Your support and knowledge would be invaluable. And as far as I understand, you’re not indifferent to Genma's fate. Is it about money?"

Kaitou’s smile became painful. "No. I would love help you. Genuinely. But I can’t. "A trembling hand pointed to the black tattoos around his eyes. While doing so, the Konoha shinobi were able to see that the jounin's dangerous abdominal wound had been carefully bandaged. "My brother has imposed a puppet seal on me to prevent me from doing anything against his will."

"Charming family. Who is your brother?"

"The Oyabun of the Yamaguji family in Yorokobi. Also known as Red.”

Raidou and Kakashi exchanged a quick glance.

"You can’t save Genma. The Yamaguji empire in Yorokobi is too powerful. They know your faces, and they have so much Sōsu on their side that even Iwa is patrolling nervously at the borders. Apart from the fact that too many in their own ranks are addicts now... Besides ... your friend traded your safety for his own. You ... you’ll need a plan," his eyes suddenly twitched painfully,"and you ... need to heal first." The tattoos around his eyes lit up briefly, and he lost consciousness under Raidou's disbelieving gaze.

He gulped and again audibly blew out his breath. 

"I ... have to ask you. Because when we get Genma back- and we will get him back- the question will eventually emerge, whom he has unconsciously influenced with his kekkei genkai. Did he use his chakra ... on you, Kakashi? "

"Yes."

Raidou painfully closed his eyes for a moment. Genma wouldn’t survive that...

"But ... I never felt influenced in a way that I could say my decisions were not mine. And my interest for him started long before he used his chakra on me. As far as I can say I am one hundred percent sure he didn’t force me to like him. Did he use it on you?"

Raidou nodded. "We exchanged chakra every time we used the Flying Thundergod Technique. Hundreds of times. I've never noticed a change in me."

"Either because the change was too subtle, or, and I think that's more likely: because there has never been a change. If the Shiranui chakra was so dangerous to the people in Konoha, Mei Shiranui would never have kept that knowledge from Genma."

Raidou nodded. That made a soothingly amount of sense. He was glad to have Kakashi here with him. Then he grinned. "Mei Shiranui's rule number one for her children had always been, to never cause any konoha citizen harm. Maybe her education actually worked."

That made Kakashi snort.

"I’m unable to fight at the moment, and you are, too," Raidou observed, unsuccessfully suppressing a pained groan. "I fear we have to first lick our wounds, before we can help Genma."

"They won’t kill him. He is too valuable. That gives us time."

"But we have no idea what the mafia will to do to him in that time."

"That’s correct. But he's a highly trained shinobi."

Raidou grabbed the still bleeding wound on his upper arm and glanced over the battlefield and its corpses again, finally taking in Kaitou’s unconscious form, the black puppet seal on display around the closed eyes. "What is this complicated Clan Secrets Story you got yourself into, Genma? And why didn’t the Hokage inform us? Sometimes I really detest our secretive world, Kakashi. I really do."

~ * ~ * ~

Genma startled out of his sleep, only to catch a small glimpse at the smelling salt that had been held under his nose a second before. 

There were at least three other men in the dark, almost empty room, all handling something in his back, seemingly rather absorbed in their duties.

"It's not often that someone voluntarily accepts the puppet jutsu." They didn’t talk to Genma but about him.

"Heard, that makes the influence even stronger." Someone loosened the shackles that tied him to the chair and nudged him in a silent demand to get up.

"Red-sama can be very convincing." Laughter. It hurt his head.

A shinobi came up in front of Genma. Distantly, he reminded the Tokujou of Kaitou. The critical green eyes took in the tired form of the Konoha-shinobi with suspicion. "One wrong move and I'll cut off your fingers. Then you can see for yourself how you will do your jutsus."

"Maybe with his mouth," someone suggested from behind Genma and the others laughed in exaggerated cheerfulness. 

"With the mouth ... a good idea."

"According to reports, he already does that. But seriously, Red-sama will be angry if you damage his property."

"If he had a problem with that he wouldn't send him into the arena."

"Yes, you are right."

"Come on, Shiranui, always one step ahead of the other."

Still dazed, Genma let the three shinobi lead him out of the room and into a long, curved, torch-lit corridor. It reminded Genma of the passage to the catacombs of a stadium. And finally he understood why. It was an underground arena they guided him through.

The arena of Kurenai's stories. 

He was in Yorokobi! Or at least somewhere nearby.

_‘Welcome to the Land of Bears, Shiranui, though it’s still to be decided if the ghost’s of your ancestors will be happy about your return’_, a voice in his head mocked snidely.

They passed a larger gate and Genma caught a glimpse of the reddish sand that covered the great arena floor. In the middle stood a young woman with brown hair, a ponytail and a short brown bangs, her hands behind her back holding her wrists, and her seemingly empty eyes turned at the ceiling .... _'Michirou ...!'_

He automatically flinched and tried to get through the gate, but a kunai bit through the thin shirt and nicked the flesh over his left kidney. 

"One step ahead of the other, Shiranui!" hissed the shinobi behind him.

Genma swallowed. He had found Hōka. Or she had found him. After all this long time. But she wasn’t herself. The damn puppet seal… He would have to wait a little longer. Then he would get her out of here. Tsunade would be able to help with the seal. Help them _both…_

They led him through the labyrinth-like corridors until the air finally got worse, and they reached a musty-smelling large cave in which stood cages as far as the eye could see. Not all were inhabited, but still an unpleasant number were.

"Fresh meat!" One of his guards shouted, and from the cages stared partly dirty, partly confused or determined people of different age or sex at him. Mistrustful eyes followed every movement of the newcomers. Some of them had noticeable scars, bandages or seemed deeply absorbed into a hollow world only they were able to see.

The place screamed of despair and blood. _‘Welcome to your future, Genma.’_

"Your hotel suite, Shiranui," his jailer announced, loosening his shackles and pushed him into an empty cage. "And don’t try to use chakra. Your collar is blocking it."

"Collar?" Puzzled, he felt with numb fingertips and touched something that felt suspiciously like the collar he had been given by Gosaburo over the Daimyo and the Hokage. Actually, he had left it with the blue kimono to Kakashis’ destructive rage at the river that night. But apparently the expensive gems had survived. And had been modified. Whose cynical humor was that?

And of all things a collar?

With a loud crash, the cell door closed and the key was turned. "Make yourself comfortable. If we need you, we'll get you. There’s a bucket in the corner. Meals: three times a day. After all, there is nothing you should miss, Konoha." The guard thought he was hilarious and laughed heartily.

"Oh, and don’t forget that in here, like everyone else, you’re not much more than a pathetic dog. So obey, jump, fight and shit where and when you’re told to. No matter what you can do, here's where everyone has to prove their worth! Have a nice stay, Konoha."

Genma’s dark eyes followed his and the other’s retreating backs, his collar heating up in warning against the flaring of his chakra, effectively blocking it.

Despite his anger it dawned on him what a dangerous situation he was in. In a cell with only an empty bucket, his sister nearby but out of reach, a puppet seal on both of them, he suddenly felt very cold. He wasn’t sure if he could handle the situation alone. 

But without Kakashi and Raidou at his side he’d have to try. Try really, really hard.

So he sat on the ground, relaxed his breathing and started, what Raidou and the Yondaime had taught him to collect his thoughts and concentrate: meditation, because what no one could take from his was his will of fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Too crazy? Too little crazy? Just trashy enough? Feedback is much appreciated. ;)


	14. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I parted this chapter into two, because thought it was too long and due to my limited time due to my job.

There existed definitely more suitable places for meditation, Genma was sure. Each time in the past years when he had meditated with Raidou and closed his eyes, his other senses had noticeably sharpened. At some point he had begun to train them in particular, like many other shinobi did, too. Raidou often meditated over specific thoughts and problems, new techniques as well as to calm body and mind. Genma had tried as well, but his greatest benefit had always been that it helped him train his senses. Michirou had encouraged him to do so, and had been constantly giving him small tasks, like altering objects, sneaking up on him with supressed chakra or attacking him surprisingly. Often she had managed to dupe him, and he had been certain she would eventually lose interest in these little games. But she had always tried to make him a better shinobi - and she never stopped. Kennousuke Shiranui, their dad, had also repeatedly pushed their playful rivalry, especially when it came to sensor skills. Kennousuke was from a small village nearby Konoha's border to the Land of Water. There was a talent for sensor-abilities in his family, and at some point Genma had realized that Kennousuke had taught Michirou everything about it and in turn demanded she helped in Genma's training.

Eventually he was able to notice her sneaky approaches as surely as the certainty of feeling his right hand around the grip of a kunai. Her chakra was similar: sharp, cool and controlled – like a kunai. Kunai would have been a better nickname than Hōka. But he now knew that name was given to her to protect him. She had always done that.

Now that his chakra was blocked, he felt as if he was that little boy again, sitting on the veranda next to Raidou in front of the Namiashi stone garden, blind and overcautious. But… Raidou wasn’t at his side now...

A tingling feeling on his neck told him there were eyes on him…

The stench of old sweat and feces stuck to this place and assaulted Genma's nose. His ears were picking up different sounds. The rustle of clothes against cool rocks, hissed or whispered conversations, restless steps, nervous whimpering, painful moaning, torches flickering in a sudden breeze, Gyobue's burning body falling... His eyes flickered open, concentration broken and decided to go for information gathering instead. He looked for the next torch. The wind came from the right. A few narrow shafts on the dimly lit ceiling of the cave: ventilation shafts. Narrow. Maybe feasible for a child, but difficult to access. Too small for an adult.

He closed his eyes anew but once again Gyboue's burning figure in his last seconds flashed before him, and he gave up. The creature had used the mineral to an extent that not only spoke of experience and coldblooded cruelty, but also of an incredible enhancement of skills. If any shinobi was able to use it like that he could finally understand, why the mafia would need more of the stone. He hadn’t realized how dangerous it was.

And there wasn't much he knew about the mineral to begin with. It could be found in the Land of Bears, in mines. And the roots of his clan could also be found in this land. He didn’t even know if he had any distant relatives still living here. Hell, he didn’t know if there were other people capable of activating the Sōsu. But his family inherited that talent. Shiranui… Hōka could do it. And she was here somewhere. She had probably empowered countless minerals in the past few months. It probably had been her who had charged the creature's Sōsu that had in the end sealed Gyobue's fate ...and Higen's.

If Genma couldn’t escape this place, they would also be able to use his skills - whatever they were. He would be forced to charge Sōsu, whether he wanted it or not. And he had agreed to give his consent to everything Red wanted. Oh, it more and more became clear why Red had formulated his condition that way. The puppet jutsu was just one component of many. It was all about one thing: capital. The greed of the Yamaguji family.

As he continued to curiously explore his small cell - which offered no privacy at all - he took in as many details of the relatively dark cave via his peripheral field of view: the cave was very large and had two levels. There were also cages on the top of the pedestal, less well lit than the lower ones and with fewer inmates, apparently two children. It had become very, very quiet by now. Calculating eyes of multiple cells tracked each of his movements.

The lower level was inhabited by thirteen men and women. The cages were partly close together some very far apart. In the latter case, the inmates looked as if they would simply bite off anyone’s face if they came too close. Clothes were damaged in some places - battle marks. Bandages and bruises...

Kurenai had been here, too, forced to fight, maybe even to kill. Genma felt sorry for her. Hopefully Asuma would be able to help her cope – provided, he finally came home...

His neighbor cell was inhabited. A woman with brown curly hair and serious brows sat in the lotus position - seemingly meditating or simply mimicking his earlier occupation. If he wasn’t mistaken her tense posture betrayed this to be an unpracticed act to hide her surreptitious glances at him. He had seen her squinting at him earlier, however. A good opportunity to advance with his investigations.

No one seemed interested in a conversation - there was an almost eerie silence, as if everyone waited for him to speak and reveal information about himself. A dangerous place, filled with dangerous creatures.

He sat down next to his neighbor, his back against the bars, one arm casually on his knees and stared straight into her face.

It didn’t take long before her brows twitched irritably, and she opened exactly one critical eye. When she saw him, she immediately closed it again, resuming to faking meditation again.

It went on for another minute when she started her next attempt to secretly peer in his direction.

He awaited her look with a broad and especially charming smile.

Blinking, she gasped and immediately stared to the side. As if the young woman could ever have fooled him.

"What do you want?" She snapped, clearly irritated and… maybe a little embarrassed, too.

Genma gave her an extra friendly smile. "Getting to know the neighborhood. It looks like we have plenty of opportunity for that in the next time."

An eyebrow twitched again, but a curious expression had rushed over her face, and Genma knew curiosity finally got the better of her. Down here, allies of all kinds were probably one of the last ways to survive. 

So she gave up her lame façade of meditating and stretched out her long legs. She now openly scrutinized him, processing every last detail of his appearance, and Genma was sure she was a kunoichi. She couldn’t be much older than Genma, but she was small and slim compared to him. A little bit like Shizune.

Finally she jutted her chin forward. "Why are you here?"

He sucked in a deep breath and sighed. "Wrong place, wrong time."

Another critical eyebrow. That probably had been too cryptic to be the foundation for an alliance of convenience. "That’s pretty much true for everyone here."

"I’m ... looking for someone."

"Whom?"

He pretended to think. When he didn’t continue, she did it for him. "I'm good at recognizing emotions: better than most. You can’t hide much from me, shinobi. Is she a lover?"

"Let's just say ... someone who means a lot to me."

She nodded complacently and Genma allowed himself to show some warmth on his face.

"Maybe I can help you. What's her name?"

Genma leaned his head back and pretended to reminisce. A painful smile around the lips as the icing on the cake, and he could practically feel how his neighbor melted away. She involuntarily scrambled a little closer. "Describe her to me. There are not many foreign faces down here for me."

Genma's eyes slid over her slender body - no scars, as far as he could tell. What was her job down here? She didn’t look like a fighter. But that was rarely an indication of the actual abilities of a shinobi. However, her seemingly honest helpfulness made him suspect that she could be a medic. Most medics he knew felt most comfortable while helping someone. Maybe this went for her, too. Maybe she even got bored down here a bit for the lack of it. So he described Michirou’s appearance, and she tilted her head thoughtfully, one finger tapping on her lips again and again. Finally, she ceased it and nodded.

"You mean Hōka."

Genma couldn’t stop himself from inhaling sharply.

The kunoichi nodded at his reaction. "Yes. She's known well here. Everybody knows her. She could fight like the devil..."

Genma's neck muscles convulsed, and he had to pull himself together not to reveal more of his thoughts. "Could?" He repeated carefully.

The woman nodded. "She fought down here in the arena for a few months. Like a berserker. I don’t know why they call her Hōka, but even if she didn’t use fire in her fights, I always liked the name. Even if she was rather cool and calculating in the arena. They also named here Shinju - …pearl. I ... I've treated her often after her combats, you know." The last words suddenly sounded shy, and a faint red glow settled on her cheeks. Genma felt a sudden wave of sympathy for the woman. Her open nature was adorable. And she had helped his sister, maybe even had a crush on her. "Hōka doesn’t fight in the arena anymore. That ... she can’t anymore. Her body is ... too tired for that."

Concern bored like a cold spear into Genma's stomach. "Why…?"

The kunoichi thoughtfully tapped her finger on her lips. "The Sōsu. It makes you tired while it's loaded. Very tired. I ... haven’t seen her for a while now, she's not down here that much anymore, but ... she seems kinda older ... haggard ... They say this mineral is to blame. But it is said that someone else will replace her now. That's good for her. Maybe she'll be better soon."

Genma processed the heard information feverishly. His sister wasn’t feeling well. When she’d found him in the forest near Gosaburo's castle, her chakra had felt muted, exhausted ... He'd blamed the puppet jutsu - because he was sure she had one. Otherwise she would never have treated him like that at the clearing. Only now did he realize that her chakra had felt that way because she was about to ...burn out. 

Genma's fists trembled in anger, but the kunoichi looked up at the ceiling and babbled on cheerfully without noticing.

"Hōka visits the arena every now and then as a spectator – like a star. You should see her. Maybe you will. At Red-Sama's side. Only Red-Sama knows where she is now, because we all do what and when he decides it for us." Again, a soft red glow appeared on her cheeks, and Genma's blood froze. He had to be careful of what he revealed about himself in front of this young woman. Someone who spoke with such a glow in the eyes of the Oyabun could absolutely not be trusted. He had misjudged the young medic. Maybe she had lost it already...

Yet, for the moment, she was his only clue. "How long have you been here?"

She hesitated for a moment, as Genma silently observed. "I've been here for years. Family debt, like almost everyone here, too. My brother. Drugs. But in this cave here ...," she pointed, making a small finger movement that included the whole cave," I’ve only been for a few hours."

"What is this place?"

"What do you know?"

"Arena battles. Animals. People. Gambling. Organized crime. And drugs somewhere in between."

She nodded slowly. "Yes. That's pretty much it. Also, amusement." Then her expression became bitter. "And don’t forget about the Sōsu. My brother couldn’t…"

Her brother had succumbed to the Sōsu? Maybe it would be wise not to tell her too much about himself. 

"I'm Genma," he said, offering his hand through the bars.

She tilted her head sideways for a moment, her thick brown curls slipping off her small shoulder. 

"Nūr," was the simple answer. Then she finally smiled and grabbed his hand. "You remind me of Hōka. At least a little bit."

Genma smiled. That was a start. " Nūr. That's a good name. Nūr, what can you tell me about this place?"

She let her gaze wander around. "There are three meals a day and fights in the evening. There are different fights, only the big ones take place in the arena. You've probably already seen it when they brought you here. There are battles between animals and humans or humans against humans. Usually, they’re shinobi. Everyone has their chakra suppressed with a jutsu," she squinted at his expensive glittering collar before she brushed her thick hair aside to reveal a small necklace. It was plain compared to Genma’s, but had a dangling stone on it. "These things don’t come off without a special jutsu or a key, so forget about it. Depending on how the fight proceeds, they allow you to access some of your chakra. There are a few guards who can control this jutsu and, of course, the Oyabun himself. He visits some arena battles and decides directly about the strength of his fighters."

"And the audience agrees with this kind of manipulations?"

Nūr shrugged. "I don’t know. Or they don’t care. It is always ensured the fights have a high entertainment value and that the powers are approximately balanced, so probably most spectators are satisfied. Somehow. I… don’t understand everything, sorry."

"No need to apologize, Nūr. Who are these people that come to this place?"

"A cross section through the society. People who like to bet, people who like to be entertained with every kind of joys. You can get everything here. Even the things you didn't know you needed. And there is always free food at the fights. Fighters like Hōka attracted an awful lot of people. She had a real fan base. A while ago we had another kunoichi from Konoha. She was great, too. That’s why all Konoha shinobi now have the nickname Shinju. It's like there is something about Fire Country that can be found in their shinobi too. Do you have it too?"

"Bread and circuses, huh?" Genma said, avoiding her question.

"Yes. It is said that even the son of the Daimyo of the Land of Bears visits the arena more often."

Another topic Genma'd rather avoid: politics of the Land of Bears. "Did you fight in the arena?"

Unconsciously, she put her arms around her upper body and lowered her eyes to the side. "I ... I mainly treat injuries. But ... I fought. Once. And lost."

Mainly? But Genma didn’t press her, he didn’t want to run dry his source of information by asking her awkward questions. She was a beautiful woman in her prime. And down here, above all, capitalism overruled all morality - that wasn't hard to misunderstand about this place even if he'd just arrived here.

"Are you a medi-nin?"

She nodded but still didn’t look at him. It was probably beneficial to have a medic in the immediate vicinity. Medics were rare and valuable, every genin learned that. The pushing question that followed that though made him feel uneasy. "What is a medic doing down here in the catacombs?"

She looked up. "I came here a few hours ago. I had a ... better room before. But ..." She took a deep breath and audibly let out the air without completing the sentence. Then she looked at him and her cheeks glowed red again.

The uneasy feeling intensified. They had been consciously packed side by side in these cells. But why? So she could treat his injuries after a fight in the arena? It would probably be easy to get her help now, but her loyalty was as erratic as he'd seldom seen in anyone.  
Apparently it didn’t take much to arouse her interest.

"You speak like Hōka, you know that? You have a similar ... speech melody ... very ... pleasant. I like it."

Automatically, he put on a smile that he knew most women found very charming, cursing himself inwardly at the same moment. He had to be careful with this type of woman. Useful, but unpredictable. And he didn’t want to abuse her naive trust any more than necessary. "How does one get out of this place? I hardly see any older shinobi here. "

"Win. Then you can fight for your freedom. As a rule, it is a family debt that binds people here to this place. If this debt has been paid off or you have died in the arena ... you are free." Genma rose an eyebrow to that. "Best, you convince Oyabun-Sama of yourself. He decides about everything and everyone. And when he feels like it, sometimes he just lets someone go home."

Genma considered the news. However, he had serious doubts whether he would be able to leave this place by winning - not as a Shiranui. But he didn’t want to stay or die here either. Or end up an exhausted wrack. So the plan was: to gather as much information as possible and get out of this place as soon as possible. 

Then he remembered the puppet seal, which, like Kurenai, was on his shoulder. Red had applied it personally. The warm hand of Oyabun had rested on his bare shoulder, strong and powerful, and the jutsu had felt like hot lava flooding his nerves, tearing him into the hands of Oyabun, who had not even looked at him ... Embarrassed, Genma noticed his cock give an interested twitch at the memory. He blamed it on the puppet seal. And his stupid libido. One day, his lacking boundaries to get intimate with every sexy human being, which had qualified him for most seduction missions in the past few years, could be his death. It was always arousing when a seduction was successful, wether it was by gaining someones trust or by having a little fun. There was nothing wrong with having fun with the willing. In Icha Icha, the samurai that crossed paths with the hero had said, his goal was to die in an honorable way on the battle fiel. Ninja weren't known to be honorable. Rather ruthless, without a moral code, coldblooded and always fighting dirty. Oh wouldn't it be nice to die in the arms of a willing lover? A beautiful death - not to the eyes of public moral, but still a beautiful way to go. But with his luck, he'd propably end in a puddle of mud, cut into pieces for hungry pigs to eat... Urgs.

He blinked twice and allowed himself a lopsided grin. Thinking about the head of the Yamaguji family had led to interesting thoughts, certainly... Still, he couldn’t shake off the thought that a strong and overwhelming force had been pulling him to the man ever since the moment, the other had applied the seal... He wanted to feel more of that strange chakra ...

The guards had said that if one didn’t object to the puppet jutsu while it's being applied, the influence was even stronger. He hadn’t fought back, as it had been part of his agreement with Red. 

He cursed himself inwardly, for when he had been drugged on that clearing and made the promise, he hadn’t come up with a timeframe for the duration of his cooperation. But he hadn’t thought that he would live long enough to complain. Or to have much freedom. Well, his body was little more than an obedient doll now... but with a lot of trained skills for reconnaissance.

"Win the crowd, and you'll win your freedom, Genma," Nūr whispered urgently. Then her eyes fell on his neck and the expensive collar. "Even if you can’t win your freedom that way, there's a lot of power in having the crowd on your side. I've seen it again and again over the years. The crowd loved Hōka. And Hōka loved the crowd."

Genma doubted his sister loved the crowd, but her acting skills rivaled his own. When he opened his eyes again, Nūr was still staring at him. She was really pretty. And absolutely scary.

"How long have you been here?"

This time she avoided his gaze. "For a while now."

"Does everyone have a puppet seal down here?"

She tilted her head, her eyes smart as they fell back on his collar. "No. Not everyone. Only special… shinobi. Strong shinobi. Shinobi from which Red-Sama wants something specific."

"Do you have one?"

"No. He didn’t need to ask for that. My life and that of my family are completely in his hands."

Genma realized that she had just told him something very intimate, as he had accidentally mentioned the intimate information about his puppet seal.

"What makes you special, Genma?" There, very quiet but present, was an undertone of mistrust.

He shrugged his shoulders with a smile, hiding the strong and disturbing feeling that he shouldn’t tell her about his heritage. That he was the one to charge the Sōsu now. Who knew if she would strangle him in his sleep. Even if she liked Hōka, the Sōsu was the reason why Nūr was in a place like this to begin with. He should always be polite to her.

There were a lot of dangerous creatures gathered here at this place. He would feel much safer if he at least had access to his chakra. And he sincerely hoped he wouldn’t end up like Nūr.

~ * ~ * ~

A small, brown bird swished through the beautiful blue summer sky. 

It flew over the castle where Gosaburo and his household were - all dead - flew far far over the green treetops to the Land of Fire to finally reach, many hours later, Konoha's bird station. From there the message attached to its leg was presented directly to the Hokage, interrupting a meeting with him and Shikaku Nara.

Raidou had sent it.

~ * ~ * ~


	15. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there is there anyone out there willing to beta-read the story or recommend how to get help, please contact me. Thx. 
> 
> Happy New Year!

Warnings: See warnings at the end of chapter.

It was difficult to say, but Genma assumed it was evening or at least late afternoon. Due to the nervous shine of the countless torches – okay, he already counted them, there were twenty-six of them- it felt like an everlasting night down here in the cave. Gloomy. And depressing. It wasn’t by far the first time that the Konoha-Shinobi found himself captive in a place completely without or only the bare reminder of daylight, but it had always been demanding for him. Maybe because of his friendship to Gai – his Genin-Team’s personal sun-incarnation... He already missed the warm rays and the fresh air. His internal clock could also get confused at some point without the regular meals. 

Even though he was a Special-Jounin, he had never considered himself a shinobi of a special caliber and had always liked standing in the shadow of Gai, Kakashi, Asuma, especially Minato-Sensei and all the other Jounins. No too outstanding skill other than those he had learned from Minato-Sensei and Kōmyō. His experience made him special, also his chakra sensory skills and his accuracy with pointy weapons… -oh, the wonderful weigh of a senbon on his lips and against his teeth…- And he was also good to adapt to difficult situations and find out about a targets desires and wishes... Fine, he had earned himself a considerable reputation in Konoha among the ANBU and Jounin. He had been on a mission almost so often that he hadn't even thought it possible to be able to maintain his relationship with Kakashi… back then… It felt like ages...

Welcome to day 1 in captivity.

He would have to keep his body and mind as sharp as possible; otherwise he’d end up …sick. 

His eyes scanned the cave again. One entrance… About eight shinobi in cages like his, eyeing him with suspicion and calculation. At the moment: no obvious escape route.

A distant thunder rolled through the air and Genma vaguely surmised to hear a low, even trickle.

"It's raining," Nūr said as she braided a strand of her thick, brown hair. "Thunderstorms in the mountains are always awful." Unconsciously, she pulled her knees up and Genma had the faint impression of recognizing the young, vulnerable woman he suspected her to be underneath all the layers of madness and zeal. So she was afraid of thunderstorms? Or maybe of the volume?

Also her words confirmed his theory: they were somewhere in the mountains, probably nearby Yorokobi, as was known intel in Konoha.

Still, he couldn't expect to be rescued. Rescued soon. Rescued ever. Kurenai hadn't been saved either. He had to depend solely on himself and his abilities - without access to his chakra. Challenging.

"He is coming the gentle rain,  
Riding his steed, the wind;  
And over the dusty plain  
Where grasses thirstily pined  
Floats a sigh  
"He is nigh!"

Nūr paused and send him a look through her long eyelashes. It wasn’t the first time he quoted these lines as a Shinobi. They seldom failed to work. "That was beautiful. Who is the author?"

He shrugged. "I don’t know. But my mom sometimes read it to me as a child."

"Hm. Sounds like a really nice mom."

Genma smiled. "Yes." Even though she had probably never heard of this poem. After years of practice, lying while acting to gain someone’s trust came to him like a second nature.

There was another peal of thunder and the whole mountain seemed to shake, the air vibrated. Nūr covered her ears.

"My mom always had a few words of reassurance when I was scared as a child," Genma observed, one arm resting on his bent knee. He was sitting with his back against the cold bars of his cell.

"What else did your mom tell you?" Her talking told Genma he got through her fears.

"Hm ... she liked to play hide-and-seek."

Nūr frowned. "She ... is Shinobi too, isn't she?"

Genma smirked. "Definitely. And she was stunning. She tracked you down everywhere; she found every hiding place, every masquerade, no matter how good. Once I just hid in the neighboring house. Even there she found me."

Nūr stared into space for a moment before suddenly looking up. "How long did it take you to understand that she sensed your chakra?"

Genma laughed and scratched his ear, slightly embarrassed. "Longer than I would have liked."

Nūr grinned, and Genma thought it suited her. She should do it more often.

Footsteps neared, and all conversations in the cave stopped. Guards came in and brought food. Nūr had told him the fighters would get decent meals. However, it would be your own responsibility to keep your body fit within the cell. So in the past two hours he had tried to do a balanced mix of meditation and basal fitness exercises - just so much to not get other's much info about his capabilities. Some of the inmates down here trained or meditated too, he suspected they were all Shinobi. And thus potential opponents.

The food looked surprisingly good, but tasted stale in the face of the bleak prospects. There was only a wooden bowl and a wooden spoon for him, not a single pointy object that would lie cool and soothing and heavenly between his lips like a senbon ... Fruits, vegetables, some meat and a bowl of rice. Plenty, he thought. He hadn't eaten that well in days, he'd spoil his stomach if he ate everything. A jug of ice-cold water and a piece of Nanuk root complemented his menu - chewing on the latter had been an adequate toothbrush replacement on some past field trips. Fortunately, hygiene seemed to be relatively important here. This raised his hopes for a shower and a decent toilet somewhere... Maybe even a comb with wonderful thin tips...

Nūr clattered cheekily with her cutlery - unlike him, she had everything she needed. Even a small table. Would he be able to persuade her to lend him a knife and fork?

She noticed his look and teasingly stuck out her tongue.

Well. At least that was better than no reaction, he consoled himself, although his hope faded. She wasn't ready to help him escape… for now?

He gave her a wink, and she blushed in return.

For now.

Half an hour later the dishes were collected again. Genma had to push it through the gap in the bars - so the cell door wouldn’t have to be opened – for now.

"For you!" A guard pushed fresh clothes over to him. Genma eyed the bundle skeptically. Long black trousers, shinobi sandals, minimal chest and shoulder armor. His torso would remain largely bare and unprotected. He raised a critical eyebrow, but the gesture bounced off the guard uselessly. "You fight tonight. In an hour. In the arena. Put this on."

Genma liked rough men of few words. The guy was almost cute. 

In his thoughts he named him ‘Delightful Drill Sarge of Few Words’ - just because. 

Then his eyes fell back on the clothes in his hand, and he sighed, sullenly rubbing his too full stomach, and looked irritably at his new outfit. It was little better than the torn, worn rags he was wearing now. On the other hand, he hadn't thought he would have to fight so soon. It was his first day. Good thing he did already stretch and some warm up exercises. A few additional but easing exercises he got from Gai would probably help too. 

It surprised him, for an exaggeratedly cherished moment, how much he enjoyed the familiar feeling of being able to wear Shinobi sandals on his feet again. He happily wiggled his toes. The sandals had a good profile and would allow wonderful grip…

Nūr watched him from her clever dark eyes, again the analytical look of the Medic-Nin on her face. "Not everyone gets an armor," she remarked thinly, again suspicions raised. "Especially not this one."

Genma studied the mixture of shoulder and breast armor more closely - flexible, minimalist, red leather, iron plates. What made them special? But he hesitated, knowing he wouldn’t like the answer and his strange neighbor wouldn’t like to give it. "I would have preferred complete clothing."

She shrugged. "It is a spectacle. Never forget that. You have a beautiful body. The crowd will want to see it."

Genma blinked, then grinned at her. "You think so?" Making her blush was too easy, he didn't even have to look at her to know her reaction, so he politely avoided looking at her by stripping his shirt - yes, it made her blush even more, and she hurreidly turned around. Some medic she was... So... They wanted him to fight other beings for fun and him to also look good while doing it ...? Even though it sounded a little bit like what he had been doing for Konoha almost all of his life, he didn't like doing it under duress. In fact, he didn't even like performing in front of crowds, contrary to popular belief. 

Another role that would cost him. Another role he would play nonetheless.

Nūr continued eating her meal but stole glances at him while he shamelessly changed his outfit. “F-few fight after they have just arrived. What level are you? Jounin?"

Genma grimaced while stretching a lot to close the shoulder armor. He would be able to move perfectly in it, it was already tailored to fit his body for weird reasons he'd rather not know... He tied up his hair and longed for his senbon, or some familiar weapon that he could handle well. Except for Gosaburo’s unwelcome collar, he had nothing left. Even the hair tie was borrowed from Nūr. She had three. And if the opportunity arose, she would ask for something in return. 

"Not quite," he answered her question and started to work on his trousers. "What will I have to expect?"

She licked her lips, eyes practically glued on his ass for a moment, then shrugged, like coming out of a daydream, and he smiled inwardly, feigning cluelessnes. “There are no regularities, only opportunities. And the fight for survival. They love strength. Survive. That is the only advice I can give you. And try to win the crowd."

Genma sighed sullenly and let his trousers drop, which startled a choked noise out of the woman who hastily covered her eyes with both hands. "Next time warn a girl before you get naked in front of her."

Laughing, he chose to take his time while stepping into the black, relatively loose trousers, that stuck to his ass like a second skin. It would look good on him - her reactions were like a barometer for sex appeal - if something like that existed. And there was something else his crazy neighbor was right with: he'd had to survive.

~ * ~ * ~

The rhythmic roar of the Taikou drums and the crowd were deafening and made the heavy walls of the hallways vibrate. The blood-thirsty atmosphere was thick and palpable in the air.  
Two guards in front and two guards behind him accompanied Genma to the large entrance gates to the arena. A red-haired shinobi also watched his every move from a few meters away. Nūr had tensed when he had appeared in front of their caves, and Genma instinctively sensed that this man must be one of the strongest Shinobi under Red’s command.

In his thoughts he named him ‘Sparky’.

In addition to all the security measures, Genma's hands were tied together in front of him and a short chain tied his ankles together so that he could only take short steps.

Being the sporadically cocky bastard that he could be, he had smiled at the totally over-the-top precautions and joked about a missing muzzle, which only annoyed the guards and evoked some unnecessarily rough treatments. He would have liked to joke about that too, if the tense atmosphere had not already started to seep through his skin.

A sudden uproar and a collective sigh afterwards commented the ongoing fight through hundreds of throats at the same time and reminded him of him own coming fight. The mood was heated and tangible. Something had happened.

"You're next!" Said the green-eyed guard who looked so much like Kaitou. The other guards had addressed him as Dorei. Genma made sure to remember the name. The guy was extremely unappealing to him and indeed had something of a slave driver – there was a coldness in his eyes – especially when he looked at the Konoha shinobi.

They stopped at the barred entrance, but the Tokujou could only see a part of the red, churned up arena sand and the steep walls that separated it from the seats.

A tortured scream filled the air and the crowd screamed something in answer. Then suddenly everything was quiet except for a few whispered words here and there and a few ... strange and very disturbing noises.

It was hot and sticky and sweat was running down everyone's face, voices were shouting something. Something started to smell… disgustingly. Having grown up in two wars, Genma knew that smell exactly.

The gate in front of him was pulled up and several guards ran past them with a stretcher. 

A little later a half-mauled body was carried past them and the special jounin noticed how his battle-tested body switched to automatic at the gruesome sight. His breath calmed while adrenaline rushed through his body. His whole being switched to the trained ANBU assassin that Konoha had made him since his childhood.

The nervous breaths of his guards became very clear to his ears. Dorei's nervous rubbing of his wet hands on the black uniform, the crunching of the sand under his left guard’s shoes as he shifted his weight...

A speaker's voice rose and hushed the excited crowd. “Dear audience, what a fight, what a fight, what a fight. A worthy end for the young, formerly aspiring farmer's son from Niekuni. And now we will reach the next climax of our tonight’s entertainment program: Fresh meat!"

The crowd repeated the words "fresh meat" and “rookie” like an angry mantra, and Genma instinctively felt his own killing intent rising - these words were meant for him. His breathing accelerated slightly.

"Freshly arrived from the distant, distant Konoha and with a will of fire, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome our latest, precious Fire Country jewel, lusting for blood and ready to fight for it: Shinju!"

Dorei gestured for the guards to move. Nobody dared to touch Genma now, they all felt the change that had taken place in him and were careful not to irritate him with a thoughtless movement.

The crowd burst into frenzied cheers, various comments were shouted across the large space, and betting slips were handed to the responsible employees and bookmakers.

Genma followed his guards silently, entering the underground lion’s den between them while the Taiko drums started slowly before thundering fierce and complicated rhythms in perfect unison. The place was huge. The ceiling was so far away that the light from the numerous fires and torches barely reached it.

The air was filled with the distinct smells of blood and sweat, but also of perfume, exotic foods and alcohol.

Dorei approached him with carefully raised hands, his eyes searching for Genma’s, as if to make sure the special jounin didn’t suddenly bite off his throat. Genma played with the thought for a moment, feeling the building tension of the Taiko war drums getting to him, and stared intently at the delicate skin under Dorei's chin until the man swallowed nervously.

With slow movements, his ankle and handcuffs were removed and the guards quickly hastened away and left him alone, gate closing behind them. The sound of the drums died down to a quiet level.

Genma used the newly gained freedom of movement to scan the arena. The ranks were filled with people of different ages and social classes. There was food everywhere. In some places he even discovered one or two saucy dressed women who were sitting too close to a wealthy or important man’s crotch or were unobtrusively moving rhythmically on it with soft sighs. Many prostitutes were present. They probably made up a big part of the evening's business.

Genma's gaze found an empty pedestal with an empty black throne on it. Artistic, bursting with power and probably worth more than he earned in a year. He cocked his head and cracked his neck muscles. Red wasn’t here. That irritated him more than he would have liked to confess, since he had considered himself a little more important. Would he have to make an effort to interest the Oyabun in himself? Even after the man made the effort to come out all that way to collect him himself from Gosaburo’s forest?

He focused back onto his current situation. What kind of opponent would they present him today? No weapons had been given to him, so theoretically it had to be an opponent he could defeat with his bare hands. …Right?

Another whisper caused a stir, and he saw - clearly for the first time and not clouded by drugs, even over the distance - the Yamaguji family's Oyabun, surrounded by servants and two beautiful women, entering the ranks. The muscular Shinobi approached his throne with his icy, hard eyes - like a king. There existed people who, when they entered a room, immediately caught everyone's attention due to their incredibly charisma. Like the Oyabun of the Yamaguji-Group. 

Everyone bowed deeply.

Except Genma.

Red sat down on his throne and rested his chin on one hand. The muscular body was only covered in light armor on the shoulders and left chest - just like Genma’s. Actually, they were the same. Telltale murmurs arose, as other’s noted it too. However, red tattoos much like claw wounds, lines and dragons adorned his torso in contrary to Genma’s - they had given him the name Red, because the long, braided hair of the Oyabun was as black as the night.

After he released his companions with a small gesture, the impressively intense eyes fell on the Konoha ninja far below him.

Genma raised his chin proudly and defiantly, feeling all eyes on him, and for a moment it was suddenly absolutely quiet in the arena that one could hear a pin drop.

Genma's heart pounded loudly in his chest.

He should be intimidated, afraid even. But he could only think about who this man was and what he had done to his family and Kurenai.

And now he was sitting on a pedestal in front of him, celebrated by the crowd like a god.

Blood roared in Genma’s ears, adrenaline and anger made his killing intent roll in waves through the arena, silencing the audience, except for the occasional voices that indignantly interpreted this moment as an affront. Red raised his hand and the speakers fell silent. Just a small gesture. But everyone listened to his command.

Genma felt the puppet seal tingle on his shoulder for a moment, as well as the damn collar. A reminder.

Red made a definite gesture with his hand, and judging by the swell of noise, the audience knew the sign. The fight began.

The drums started to play again and one of the arena's numerous barred gates cracked before it was hoisted under the loud cheers of the crowd.

The special jounin looked away from Red and stared into the darkness behind the gate. He couldn't feel with his chakra-enhanced senses, but his instincts sent a tingling sensation down his neck.

Danger…

He narrowed his eyes to better see.

There…

... He could hear something - faintly, almost deafened by the roaring drums...

Clack ...

... splash.

Just as he recognized the noises, four drooling Rottweilers rushed out of the gate and chased after him.

Surprised, he slid to the side, barely ducking beneath two jumping animals. They were damn fast and agile. Too fast and agile. He only just managed to grab an attacking dog by its heavy collar and hurled it away, as the next one bit his thigh. Quickly he grabbed the beast's jaw from below, kicked two more dogs aside with the other leg, and finally broke the animal's jaw with a terrible sound of giving nerves and bones.

The dog yelped and for a moment Genma would have felt sorry for it if he hadn't currently been fighting for his own life.

The fourth used this moment to jump on his back and Genma shifted sideways in time so the fangs bit into his armor instead of chewing off his ear.

He threw himself on his back to bury the animal under his weigh, but it let go of him in time.

Genma scrambled to his feet and started to run for his life under the scornful laughter of the audience.

The dogs were trained to kill humans and were used to attack coordinated in packs. Without chakra, it was damn hard to keep up with such agile powerhouses. His thigh was bleeding profusely - a piece of muscle had been bitten out. After all, the blood didn’t shoot out of him in pulses - so there were still chances he’d survive.

But…

He could run as much as he wanted, without his chakra the animals were faster than he was. 

And they had already caught up with him. Genma smashed a dog's chest with a swing of his elbow, but it cost him his cover and the others bit into his legs. With a painful outcry, he went down - and understood.

He would lose here.

He would be mauled by dogs here during his first fight and the bloodthirsty crowd would cheer on...

He would die here, regardless of whether he could activate the Sōsu ... In the end Red didn't care about him ... Right?

Another gate opened and the crowd escalated as a pack of Dobermans jumped out of it.

Right. He was dead.

Genma gritted his teeth and threw his elbows around before he skillfully wriggled out between the Rottweilers, not without losing a good amount of his pants, and lunged to the side to avoid the new attackers. Sand burned in his open wounds, but he barely took notice.

He stubbornly bared his teeth in front of the slowly surrounding predators, their slobber dripping down on the red sand.

Glancing up at Red, he thought he saw a fine smile around the hard corners of his mouth.

Furiously, he rolled over again so that the animals couldn’t close the circle around him. But they would little by little push him against the arena wall. This was a fight he couldn’t win barehanded. If Red wanted him to know his place, it probably worked better than intended. Without his chakra, his stamina would run out sooner or later… and they were… many…

Then two things happened in a row.

An adipose woman waved a handkerchief at him and her servant dropped a short spear on the arena floor. She smiled with incredibly red stained cheeks, dabbed her sweaty forehead with the handkerchief and blinked ecstatically, her ornate purse still in her other hand.

She had bought him a weapon. For his fight.

Next, Genma felt his collar tingle and suddenly felt lighter and more alert. A quick test, and he realized that he was being allowed a small portion of his chakra. Perhaps in return for winning this woman’s help... 

So that’s how things worked here… _‘Win the crowd…’_

As if they felt that time was running out, all dogs jumped at him at once and with a Konoha whirlwind, which he had learned from Gai and which would have made the Taijutsu-Specialist proud, he whirled them all away.

With an elegant backwards twist that he had copied from Ebisu, he jumped out between the animals and ran towards the spear. The crowd cheered for this display of strength and elegance and chanted his new name: “Shinju! Shinju! Shinju!"

He concentrated chakra to his feet and ran along the arena wall, while the drooling dogs followed greedily and barking on the ground and kept trying to snap at him.

Jeweled hands from the audience stretched in his direction, a fine handkerchief and even a rose uselessly fell to the floor behind him.

With an acrobatic somersault-twist combination, Genma dropped to the arena floor right next to the spear - in a slightly dramatic, overconfident pose, smiling.

He had reached the weapon faster than the dogs - and the crowd was raging.

He balanced the spear from hand to hand, twirled it around testing it like a wooden stick, before deciding how to use it.

Then he faced the bloodthirsty pack.

~ * ~

It hadn't even cost him much stamina. He had killed all animals, including the badly wounded, whose whines had deafened his ears. He'd felt awful for doing so, but they were trained to attack humans. They were a danger and if Genma hadn't defeated them they would fight someone else and maybe mangle them like the poor peasant boy who'd fought before him. He just hoped there weren't that many trained dogs down here. Still, he hated it - because it was some shitty men's fault the dogs were trained to attack humans.

The use of the spear had been short but bloody. Nevertheless, the crowd shouted enthusiastically. Women made lewd remarks about his shredded trousers, men praised his moves and efficiency.

But he didn't listen to them.

Instead, he looked up to stare directly at the cause of everything: Red.

The blackhaired man stared back, chin still on one hand, almost as if bored if not for the faint smile.

A heartbeat later, Genma was in the air, far higher than the edge of the stadium, and hurled his spear right at the Oyabun’s head.

As if in slow motion, those present understood what was happening. Outraged, wide-eyed eyes tried to follow the flight of the weapon, which was flying at tremendous speed towards the dark mafia boss.

Genma allowed herself a smug grin while falling back to the ground.

The spear raced toward the head of the mafia, Shinobi dived to his side, but no one would be able to fend off the surprise attack in time.

The weapon pierced the air and reached Red in no time.

The muscular shinobi leaned his head briefly to the side and the spear vibrated with a hard ‘thud’ into the back of the expensive throne close to his ear.

Three black hairs fell prey to the steel.

A murmur went through the crowd.

Several jaws kissed the floor, many rose indignantly, others fled in panic.

Genma heavily landed on the sandy floor. A tingling on the back of his neck and a sudden weight to his muscles told him that his chakra had been resealed.

Guards poured into the arena and surrounded the Konoha Shinobi with flashing weapons. The red-haired Shinobi was there, too, hands raised in a seal, ready and waiting.

The special-jounin couldn't help the loving smile tucking at the corners of his mouth while looking at the many weapons almost within arm's reach, and the guards became even more nervous. It was almost funny.

A few of them even wore bracelets or rings with the mineral that Michirou had called 'Shiranui' and Genma couldn’t suppress an excited grin anymore, fully absorbed by the moment. A few strands of his hair had come loose - he knew this added to his wild and daring look - and Kakashi would have loved it. A woman fainted with a sigh.

The puppet seal started to burn painfully on his shoulder before he could take his next step in becoming the crazy new crowd favorite of Yorokobi. With a "Tsk" he turned around to look up at Red, whose fist was clenched and dark eyebrow risen as if daring him to overstep again in front of so many witnesses.

Tempted for a second to show him the middle finger to highlight his distinct opinion about the whole matter, Genma's instincts chose to beam at his captor instead-the dimpled and honest smile he knew many found attractive. Adrenaline was still pumping through his battlehardened body, and he finally raised both hands, but so very, very slowly, almost mockingly, letting the gesture easily cross the distance between the two man to form the first and most important connection in his field of work: to spike someone's interest. Yes, he could be a cocky bastard.

While his challenging gaze captivated the Oyabun's grim attention, the guards immediately closed the chains around his wrists, but somehow it didn't feel like the Konoha shinobi was subdued at all. Almost frightened, they poked the grinning blood-drenched lunatic from Konoha, former goei shotai and ex-ANBU, with their pointy weapons to persuade him to leave the inferno of utter chaos he had caused in the underground arena.

That was Genma's first fight in the Yamaguji arena. It was a statement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings of: animal deaths, human deaths, ... 
> 
> Quoted poem (first part): by Ruby Archer.


	16. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally I wanted to skip the events in this chapter and not even post it. But after watching 'The witcher' I rediscovered my appreciation for a nice bathtub. So here it is.

The guards were decidedly too rough with him, all nervous, sweaty and stiff movements.

When the adrenaline finally and suddenly subsided it was like a switch was turned, and Genma stumbled. The ankle cuffs were a hindrance, and he clumsily fell to the ground-of course in an rather awkward position. Angry shouts were followed by a few kicks, but after a harsh word from Dorei and Genma’s successful attempt to sink his teeth into a calf, the men stepped back.

The special-jounin tried to get up on his own but failed miserably and inwardly cursed his bindings and everything else. Seemed like the last exhausting moths were finally catching up. In Konoha he would now take a nice bath in the onsen to get the stiffness out of his aching muscles, but no, his luck confronted him with _this_, one of Konoha's best seduction experts, almost mauled by aggressive dogs and his frightened guards, captured-again-in an underground hideout somewhere in nowhere, crumpled to the ground like a potato sack. Must be a breathtaking sight. To simply fall asleep on the spot sounded incredibly tempting now... At least they didn't plan to kill him-now. Interrogation also didn't seem to be on the menu. About torture... Torture came in many ways. He bit his lips. Instead of helping him, the competent guards quarreled, and he sighed, headache already forming. They assumed it was a trick and didn't want to risk being within his reach. Good. So they were afraid of him. Genma would have smiled again if it wasn’t for the pain and the tiredness. The fall had put sand and dirt into his open and already hurting like hell wounds again and that did nothing to raise his mood. A kick had also hit him above the eye and caused a small cut. The eye would likely swell soon. Yay. He could just stay there and take a rest, just to annoy them more.

Surprisingly, it was the red-haired jounin guard who grabbed him by the shoulder armor and effortlessly hoisted him back onto his feet.

The man stepped aside to stay in the background again, offering no comment at all, but not even for a second letting Genma out of his sight. The Konoha shinobi took a moment to look over the shoulder, analyzing the jounin's gesture and fluid movements. Finally he nodded, and the other nodded back-hardly noticeably, from one elite shinobi to another. This one was dangerous.

The nervous guards pricked their lances into his side and continued to lead him down the hall. The mood was nasty. Nobody really knew whether they should beat Genma on the spot for his behavior in the arena, kill him, or just let him be.

So the gentlemen seemed to feel more comfortable with their lances and spears and Genma allowed his perfect teeth to shine again. The red-haired jounin snorted at that. The others were probably not jounin-level ... Most likely not chunin-level either ... Dorei and the redhead may have been the only shinobi along with Genma in this hallway. This explained their fear in a more understandable and enjoyable way to Genma. Satisfied, he stowed this information for a suitable time. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your opponents has always been an asset.

At some point they climbed stairs.

Where were thy bringing him? Not back to the cell? They were higher up than the area he knew so far. But everything was so extensive here that he had never had a chance to create a complete mental map of this place. He could hear the sounds of a distant Koto behind one of the doors, conversations about a… game of Go and the smell of fine food. In addition to the arena, there had to be completely different areas. Perhaps this place was not just an estate on a mountain with the arena in its guts. Maybe everything was much bigger and more complex.

An elder lady was waiting for them at the end of a hallway. Her clothes and posture spoke of elegance and strictness at the same time. Genma immediately felt like facing a high-ranking geisha. Dorei spoke in a mixture of submissiveness and anger that, for some reason, reminded Genma of a spoiled child talking to his mother. She exchanged a few hissed words with the young shinobi. Was he wrong, or had she just call Genma a "dog" in an embedded sentence? Her cold eyes kept sliding to him during the hushed exchange.

And Genma understood. She, too, was afraid. Of him. Because he had attacked the Oyabun and no one had been able to stop him.

The woman Dorei had addressed as "Nakamura-Sensei" eyed Genma carefully and disapprovingly, then nodded respectfully to the red-haired jounin behind the group before finally nodding left to a heavy oak door.

Dorei opened it and promptly pushed Genma inside.

The guards all stayed outside, only the redhead followed, closed the door behind them to effectively shut out every noise, and then immediately leaned against a wall with his arms crossed.

Genma was amazed.

It was an indoor onsen.

And a beautiful one, too.

That was totally unexpected. But ... nothing should surprise him in this place of old and traditional money anymore. Everything seemed possible here, and the silence was actually a welcome change.

At one side there were shower cubicles with stools, faucets, wooden buckets, small towels and also soap and shampoo. A pleasant and calming aroma was in the air.

Smoothly polished stones framed an invitingly steaming and elegantly curved onsen set in the ground that bordered on a window pane.  
It was dark outside.

Genma approached it as if in a trance, but when he saw the fine flicker of a chakra network, he stopped. The window was sealed. No escape option there. Jounin guard inside the room, the other guards waiting in the corridor outside the door. Yeah. No escape route at the moment. So he could also enjoy it while it lasted.

Everything looked nice and calming, but Genma felt a chill run down his back. He didn't even know if he had ever been alone in a place like this. His last onsen visit had been with no other than Kakashi. The crazy copy nin who had felt up his body almost constantly with his warm, strong hands ... Massaging his shoulders while helping him wash before stepping into the onsen, sneaky fingers wandering ... His cock twitched at the memory and he bit his lip. When a red glow almost made it to his cheeks, he closed his eyes briefly. His insatiable libido sometimes _could_ be a burden, especially at times like these. He stopped his train of thought-he was tired, yes, but not so tired that he would drop his guard in a place like this.

He sighed involuntarily, suddenly aware of the pain and tension of the past few hours, days… weeks. Reminding himself that he was not alone, he glanced at the redhead, whom he named 'Talky' in his mind, whereby 'Sparky' still seemed suitable because the wild red hair. 

But the slim jounin had closed his eyes and seemed to ignore him completely, creating a small feeling of privacy.

Genma had no illusions. The shinobi was still closely guarding him, and, if necessary, would probably also wipe the floor with him if he misbehaved. If he behaved, the other would probably leave him alone. At least that's how Genma assessed his personality so far. Dangerous. Calm. But not aggressive.

Good.

He wouldn’t provoke him. Not now.

He found bandages and towels on a small shelf. A few strange smelling ointments that only smelled distantly known to his nose would hopefully speed up the healing process. Just as he finished the inspection and started to wonder how he would get out of his clothes in his chains, Sparky suddenly appeared behind him.

Genma winced, startled, and the other allowed himself a crooked grin. The Tokujou hadn’t felt the other approach without his chakra. His senses weren't blind, but it would take him a little longer to get used to it. He watched intently as the jounin released his bonds.

Silently. Without a word. Quite the talkative guy he had posed as so far.

That was kind of reassuring because it was something predictable.

Then the jounin went back to his place and closed his eyes in the same position as before and Genma rubbed his wrists. The skin was slightly roughened there. He would have to use the ointments there too, otherwise they could become infected.

With his muscles shaking slightly from tiredness, he awkwardly got rid of his armor and the remains of his clothes. It took an unusually long time, every movement a torture. It stuck uncomfortably to some bite wounds and scratches. Blood ran down his thigh as he loosened the fabric from the rather deep flesh wound. He wasn’t able to see much in the dim light, but he hoped it wouldn’t cause an infection. A mental image of Shizune reprimanding him made him smile faintly.

Then he put the small towel around his waist, sat on the wooden bucket, turned on the water and took in a deep breath, enjoying the stream of liquid washing away blood and grime. The warm drops ran down his body, drumming evenly on his skin and hair, the heavy scent of the room drenched his senses, lulling him quickly… Time passed like in a dream, and for a moment he thought he was back in Konoha, as strong hands lay on his shoulders, warm, pleasant, massaging the tense muscles and Genma put his head back with a soft moan.

"Ka ... -" He blamed it on the entirety of events that he only now realized that the hands were real. And that they were glowing green. They weren’t Kakashi’s... They were also leaner and gentler ... "Nūr ..." ...

Dark brown eyes looked down on him, agitated by a conflict of emotions. She looked angry with him. Her thick hair was tied up in a braid, the wide sleeves of her usual hakama pulled up on her arms, so they wouldn't get wet.

Maybe now was the moment she'd strangle him. Dying by the delicate hands of a beautiful woman… They would simply weave around his throat and squeeze harder and harder. Maybe she had a poisonous hairpin with her too, and it would be quick ... Maybe-

"Why ... why did you do that?" She finally uttered.

He blinked, his lips opened but stuck for the answer. His thoughts were so sluggish that it took him a moment to process her question.

"Why ... did you attack Red-Sama?" She clarified, noting his state of mind.

His head dropped again, the spreading relaxation let it sink down even deeper than before. Her hands were gentle as they started to rub the shampoo into his wet hair. He felt no killing intent even though she was in the perfect position to end his life here. She wouldn't do it. Not today. He could read it in her voice and feel it in the caring touch of her hands. Now it paid off he'd been nice to her. 

"You shouldn't have done that ... Nobody should ..." The pressure of her hands became painful for a moment. "Nobody gets away scot-free ..."

She dropped her forehead against his neck and Genma blinked in surprise at the sudden proximity. He unconsciously leaned into the gentle touch.

“Our destinies are interwoven, Genma of Konoha. As long as you win, we're both fine. If you lose, we’re not. I am responsible for your health...”

For a moment, Genma’s vision blurred, and he realized that the scents in this onsen not only had a calming effect. They made him sleepy. 

"Did you really want to ... kill him?"

"... The ... spear wouldn’t ... have killed him ..."

"... but you ... wanted to, right?"

"..."

He barely noticed her washing his body, saw the blood drain away in the water… After she finished, he let himself be moved when she guided him to lay down on a mat next to the onsen.

Now she put her glowing green hands on his thigh and treated one wound after another. She also paid particular attention to the cut on his eye. He had expected rudeness, but her fingers slid gently over his face, almost like a caress, almost ... worshipping, and he was glad he'd flirted with her earlier. She could be a nice person after all, and his insides clenched at the realisation, that he really needed one now.

"The other girls don't dare to be near you. They are afraid of you now. The guards, too.” Was there a trace of pride in her voice?

"But you aren’t?"

She smiled and brushed a strand of wet hair from his forehead, her face close to his. "You were nice to me. I'll take care of you, Shinju. I promised Red-Sama I'd do that."

Open wounds closed under Nūr’s capable hands within minutes, now, totally absorbed in her task as a medic, there was no shyness at all in her movements.

Dazed, he let her pull him into a sitting position. "You can use the onsen now. If a ninja is no longer used to fighting without chakra for a while, muscle soreness and strains can easily occur. And you can't afford that now. In addition, your thigh muscles are totally stiff."

Normally, he would have retorted something suggestive at that. But now, almost as if in a trance, he limped into the water and let his aching body sink into the pleasant warmth.

He didn't even hear Nūr take off her clothes in the background, only noticed her stepping into the onsen a little later. Wrapped in a big towel, she enjoyed the water by his side. After a soft sigh, she put a hand on his cheek, gently guided his head to rest on her bare shoulder to started to stroke his hair absentmindedly.

For a moment, just this moment, he let it happen. He trusted her as much as he trusted anyone else in this place, but this moment, just for this moment, he longed too much for his old life ...letting his guard drain out of his with the tension… Imagined, that he hadn't said those words to Kakashi in that rainy night in Konoha's forests ... Imagined, not being alone at this moment ... Maybe everything could have been different…

Slowly, he let his eyes close.

The last thing he noticed was Nūr’s question "Who’s Kakashi?" and Sparky’s frown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is always appreciated.


	17. Chapter 16 The Onsen Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter didn't turn out as originally planned. I hope it's not too boring. But it will give some more answers, like the next chapter, too.

Fingertips, soft as feathers, caressed his cheek, easing the pain….

_ The wet but comfortably cool sponge was pressed gently onto his swollen eye. _

_„Still not going to look pretty soon, Mom. Your efforts are wasted on him, really... “_

_„Ouch! Mom!“_

_„It’s your own fault, Genma. Everything you do will have consequences, especially as a shinobi.“ His mother smiled. It was her unique way of a soft scolding, and he was mortified. _

_„Even if you chose to do nothing at all.“_

_„Idiot! Who in his right mind claims to have no sister when everyone knows it is a blatant lie! This is so stupid, I can’t believe it! Start reading people! And start making sense. You deserved the beating!“_

_„You’re mean! You always are! I wish someone else could be my sister!“_

_„Baaaaka! As if it is that easy! You are six, you should know better! I didn’t choose you to be my brother either. So just quit being an ass and I don’t have to be an ass to you, you little rugrat.“_

_„Will you stop now. Both of you. Calm down, be polite to each other. You are siblings and that is a wonderful thing. One day you will be able to see it. And Genma: never lie to Konoha citizens for non relevant reasons. Always show them respect! People are going to be afraid of you if they cannot trust you.“_

_„You always say that! ‚It is important to never wish any Konoha citizen harm!‘ Yeah, I got that. But Michirou chops my neck all the time just because she’s bigger than me! I have to defend myself!“_

_„Oh Gen-Gen, if you want to become a shinobi quit the whining and start finding creative answers to your so-called problems that actually do work!“_

_~_

_„Um, why do you wear your brand new hitai-ate backwards? Looks... strange.“_

_„Raidou,“ Genma clapped his hands, „I’m starting to find creative answers to my problems that actually do work.“_

_„What problems?“, the older boy asked doubtfully before he recurred to cleaning his sword._

_„No problems.“ Genma sent him a crooked grin, taking in the body language of his long time friend just like his mother taught him, to get a surprising amount of information. It was a bit like opening his eyes for the first time. „I’m a genin now.“_

_Raidou looked up from his work, smirking. He held Genma's belt in his hand and the fresh Genin noticed in shock his trousers falling to his knees. Hurriedly, he snatched the belt back and Raidou laughed at him. The sun didn’t reflect on the black sword when he rose it. „Still not going to beat me!“_

_Genma grabbed a kunai. „At least not with a sword.“_

_„Also not with a kunai!“_

_„Let’s see about that.“_

_~_

Genma startled out of his sleep, his hand immediately seizing the hand on his face in a vice like grip, his other hand already on hear throat. It took some disoriented harsh breaths until his dizzy sight was clear enough to realize where he was.

Nūr was much too experienced in handling shinobi to make a move. She waited. But even after some more blinking he didn’t retrieve his hands, so she tried a verbal approach for de-escalation. 

„It’s okay, calm down. I was only checking on your wounds, Genma.“

He forced himself to calm down, still not being able to relax fully. His head hurt like hell. Last thing he remembered were the Onsen and Nūr, healing him. Though he didn’t remember hurting his head... or why was it hurting like that? Now he was back in his cell, laying on the hard surface of the sleeping mat. With a confused groan he withdrew his hands.

„Why... am I feeling dizzy...?“ His voice sounded hoarse.

„It’s because of the sedative. You frightened some people here too much. It will pass.“

„I don’t feel so good...“

„Maybe the dose was too high.“

„How did I... get back?“

„You were carried,“ she answered with caution. 

Something in her voice made Genma shudder. Something wasn’t right. Something had changed. Something... 

„It was Ashita. The red haired shinobi.“

Genma grit his teeth. Having been carried by the hands of an enemy jounin while unconscious and tranquilized... never a reassuring thought.

„He also told me... about Hatake no Kakashi.“

It was his livelong training that stopped Genma from flinching. That was even less reassuring. Some information even made it to the Land of Bears. The infamous Kakashi was known among many jounin. Bingo Book Bonus. That only undermined his theory of Ashita being a jounin-level enemy. Hopefully Kakashi wouldn’t ever show his face in Yorokobi. The city, well known for its offers for any kind of amusement, was very similar to a shinobi village.

Nūr read his silence with ease. „Who is he to you?“ Her voice was a little bit too harsh, a little too demanding to feign harmless curiosity. „You said his name when I touched your face...“

Genma frowned. He didn’t remember saying anything in the Onsen. Hopefully he hadn’t been drugged enough to spill anything important. But if he remembered correctly he fell asleep pretty fast. Why was he the only one affected? Where Nūr and Ashita immune or did something else happen while he was out of it? He needed to gather more information. Always a critical situation in the hands of an enemy - quite literally at the moment. But he allowed himself to reconsider the question. Well. Who was Kakashi to him now? He was one of Konoha’s living dark legends, incredibly dangerous and competent, smart, strong, agile, one of the best ANBU ever to work for Konoha, with an objectionable fascination towards reading questionable literature in public, extremely laid-back, extremely handsome and extremely sexy... Their undefined relationship had been... a really good time. It had been nice to have someone to come back to, to share thoughts, doubts and ideas, and they were incredibly compatible in bed... It surprisingly hurt to remember that night in the rainy forest, when Genma wanted to get out of Konoha, ready to throw everything away, actually threw their what-ever-it-was-but-still-really-nice-relationship away, to exchange it willingly with this... place... He really loved his sister. But that night had left a scar. And for a brief moment, he wondered if Kakashi had felt the same pain... 

„He‘s a friend.“

Her eyes narrowed just that tiny bit, revealing her disbelief in his words. „A friend. A friend you think of while being in an Onsen... receiving caresses?“

His face brightened into a grin, the index of his left hand slipped to his lips in a playful and slightly sinful manner. If she already suspected a sexual connection there, no use in hiding it from her now. „Why not?“

She smirked in response to his lewd insinuation. But it was something in the way she slightly tilted her head to the side and the shadows ghosting in her eyes, that kept Genma on the edge. No, he didn’t trust her at all. Which made it almost astonishing he still let her rest his head on her lap. Oh the disadvantages of playing out his role. Did he really want to charm Nūr of all people for information? Her dark eyes still lingered on his lips. „Yeah. Why not.“ 

And did she just project his words back onto him? An almost possessive tightening of the fingers on his shoulders made him flinch. She didn’t want to be seduced by him, she wanted him anyway. When she started to draw invisible circles onto the thin fabric covering his chest, he knew someone must have dressed him while unconscious. Maybe her, maybe the read-haired jounin, maybe someone else.

Nothing that hadn’t happened before, but he wondered briefly what else he had missed. How many minutes or even hours had passed? Only now did he noticed the small plaster resting innocently on the crook of his arm - they had drawn his blood...

He tried to jerk away from her when suddenly memories flickered violently into his mind. Memories about shackles, an underground dungeon, the kunoichi injecting a fluid into the crook of his arm, the Yamanaka-girl, Sachiko, his student, in front of him, the witch riding him... Gosaburo greedily asking for more details...

Nūr ignored his reaction, firmly pressed his head with both arms against her chest and stroked his heir soothingly, her finger on a certain chakra point at his neck forced him to stop all movement. „Shh... I’m here with you. Wherever you are right now... come back to me...“

Her chakra was warm on his neck and the puppet seal on his right shoulder started to heat.

_Gyobue’s body fell to the ground in burning pieces and the child’s bright eyes stared at him uncomprehending and innocently like only a child could._

Gasping for air he came back to reality. Her glowing hands stopped an overwhelming nausea, and he was able to calm down again. He couldn’t allow himself an episode of PTSD while being held prisoner... Not now. Not ever. He needed to get away from her.

„So you are, like all shinobi, just another traumatized boy, right?“ The words made him shudder. „I was wondering when the flashbacks would start. They are a side effect of the puppet jutsu. And overdue. In some days it should be better. At least that’s how it was with the others. You will relieve some... bad memories... Lots of stuff you suppressed. But I will take care of you. And we have a lot of time.“ The last words were muffled into his hair, at the same time her chakra was easing his dizziness and the headache. „Tell me... Who will come looking for you? Will it be Kakashi?“

„I don’t know. He can’t...“ Kakashi and Raidou were both badly hurt. Who would look after _them?_ And how could anyone find him here, buried underneath tons and tons of rocks, in the midst of a castle somewhere in the mountains nearby Yorokobi, surrounded by thousands of mercenaries and shinobi... She looked at his hands and that was when he noticed, they were trembling. Being prisoner again... After the last weeks it was... He wasn’t ready for something like that again...

_ The Yamananka-girl, Sachiko Yamananka, with the silver-blond locks, here eyes were so pretty, her shrill voice incredibly loud in his ears... „Help me! I don’t want to die! Don’t let me die! I want to go home! I want to go home...!“_

_The angry witch of Ame drove one of his senbon a little bit farther underneath Genma’s solar plexus, sealing and damaging the chakra point there. „Watch her die, scum! I’ll make sure you wouldn’t miss a second of it! This is all your fault, scum!“_

_Another cut on Sachiko’s bare skin, just below the left breast. „She will bleed to death. Slowly. I wonder if she can feel it already... the coldness...“ Strong fingers pulling on his face even though he wouldn’t have turned his eyes away. „Watch, scum! Watch closely! Did you laugh behind my back at me when you gained my trust by trickery? Did you laugh when I gave myself to you?“_

_„No-“_

_„When I’m done with her, you will die. I’ll enjoy every second of it-“_

„You are alone, Genma. You only have me now. Do you even have the slightest idea how hard it is to find this place? Or to find you down here? Here are hundreds of people. And even more tunnels. Nobody will tell anything about this place. Everybody lives to serve the Oyabun. The whole city. The whole country. Unconditionally.“

Genma gulped down the lump in his throat. She sure knew how to raise ones spirits. Her touches reminded him too much of the Ame-witch... But if he squinted, she almost looked like Kurenai.

_ A Sakura-tree in full bloom on an otherwise stinted mountain..._

He breathed it away and he forcefully shut his mind to any more unwanted memories. That was the moment he noticed the sobbing of one of the imprisoned children. A boy. Genma sat up and leaned back against the iron bars. „Tell me about the kids. Why are the children down here?“

She sat back onto her heels, her face an unreadable mask. „This country is poor, Genma of Konoha. Really, really poor. This isn’t Firecountry. There isn’t much that will grow on this land, taxes are high and the government is corrupt. Most families don’t have enough to eat for the next day... Hunger, despair... Many parents see the only way to give their children a chance to live in giving them away. To a place where there is food. Others... got themselves into debt... Like my brother did, as you already know. It is really hard to find a good reason to live. There isn’t much left to do since the old Daimyo died and his first son was murdered along with his family. These assassins condemned this land. There is no hope now except one.

The children over there are boys. Nakamura-Sensei takes in the girls and trains them. The boys are... assessed and some are chosen for the experiments. That’s when they end up down here.“

„What kind of experiments?“

„Mostly it’s about the Sōsu. They are trying to find or to create someone who is able to activate it. Not everyone survives. Most change.  
The boys over there are orphans. They would have starved to death if not for Red-Sama. They volunteered for the experiments and therefore found their reason to live on.“

This perception of the world made the bile rise in Genma’s throat. He sincerely doubted that a child, whatever its age, could make such decisions let alone half starved. „You want to tell me that one way or the other they would have died, so it’s okay?“ 

„That’s rich coming from a shinobi! To put yourself morally above others. How many did you kill in cold blood for your village? For the good of Konoha? How many people did you deceive by obtaining their trust and - if convenient - even kill them?“

„There are limits.“

„Why do I get the feeling you of all people already crossed these limits by far?“

Oh how right she was... Who was he to judge? He’d killed a child, even though he didn’t explain much in that mission report all these years back. He was still wondering why he got away with it. They certainly would have forced him into therapy - to not bottle up things. But how could he have faced Raidou, his moral compass? His friend would have been crestfallen. Even worse that he’d seduced Anko shortly before this mission. That alone had been a strain to their friendship. What if he’d known about the child? Or Gai? His mom? He’d put the ANBU-mask down after the deed and the boy had seen him...

„Your silence is enough of an answer. I won’t accept any preachment from you. My hands are able to heal, yours cause the opposite."

„What... do you know about the Sōsu?”

Her brows furrowed. „Not much is known about it. But...“

„But?“

„The mineral itself isn’t evil. It is only corrupted by the contact with a certain earth chakra. Then the mineral changes, and like triggering an avalanche, a lot of power is set free. Something... changes within the mineral. And this change is... bad. It even changes the users' chakra.“

Genma unconsciously chewed on his bottom lip. She was taking in every reaction of his - almost like a spider.

„First you don’t notice it. When you touch the mineral it is beautiful and pleasant and you don’t want to let go of it. Sorrows and fears fall silent, euphoria sweeps you away... And then there’s this power flooding your body... Power like... I don’t know how to describe it, but my brother said it is absolutely exciting. Many use it to feel good. Eventually they use it not to feel bad.“

Complicated feelings crossed her face before her eyes were hard on him again. „It is a great power to be able to activate the Sōsu, Genma Shiranui.”

Oh. So that's what had changed her behavior towards him: she now knew who he was. And he was glad when Ashita came back and made here go into her own cell.

~*~*

Raidou was asleep, his torso tightly wrapped in bandages, and Kakashi didn’t want to wake him up.

His broken wrist hurt like hell, and he wasn’t able to use the fingers of this hand. No jutsus for him. If he was lucky, his wrist wouldn’t have to be rebroken, though Raidou wasn’t sure if he set the bone together correctly. It was possible he wouldn’t be able to use his hand again. Without professional help this could even be the end to his shinobi career. But he was still alive.

Carefully he slipped outside the mountain cave to search for more of antalgic herbs he found earlier. Underneath him, still far away, the red lights of Yorokobi illuminated the night. Like a polyp its arms spread around the valley, surrounded by mighty black mountains. Little time left for healing. There were so many rumors about this place, most about drugs, gambling, corruption, sex and death, that Kakashi bitterly hoped there would still be enough of Genma Shiranui left to be rescued.


	18. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter of three that weren't originally planned to be part of the story. But I just felt like writing it - wrote it totally for my own amusement. ;)  
There was also an additional part with Sukea, working undercover to gather intel about Genma's whereabouts by playing Go somewhere in Yorokobi and pretending to be a merchant interested in Sosu, but I decided to cancel it because I felt too lazy to write it down completely.

The next morning.

Genma pulled himself up again in another upside down sit-up, pressing his nose between his shins for another second. His feet were bent over the cell bars on top - everything for keeping himself fit down here. When he reached 40 he felt a wave of cool air against his sweaty skin.

„You didn’t tell me he’s _that_ hot!“ an amused voice chirped. "I'd love to be drop of sweat now, and I'd totally take my time rolling down _that_ body."

The Tokujou stopped and neatly let himself down when the newcomer approached. He snatched his shirt to wipe himself and put it on again.

„Oh, you really don’t have to...“

He slowly turned around and the special jounin allowed himself a lopsided grin to great the openly leering woman. In addition, he made sure a small portion of skin near his hips was still uncovered for her to appreciate.

Her eyes widened at that. „Niice!“

A stiff Nūr rose from her mat to walk towards the bars. „‘Node! What are you doing here?“

Accompanying the guards today was a young and lively woman, carrying a tray of food. „Breakfast! However, I already ate the grapes...“

„You know I deserved them!“ Nūr bristled with anger.

With a grin and a smooth wave of her arm the blonde woman let some grapes fall out of the sleeve of her hakama. They flew directly through the bars and into Nūr’s open palm. „Just kidding.“

The familiar way the women greeted each other told Genma they must have known each other for a long time. Probably frenemies - they had that air around them. 

Then the blonde eyed the konoha shinobi. „You don’t look like you bit off someone's leg. Rather like I'd lend you _my_ leg to nibble on...“

Genma frowned in question.

„Allow me to introduce myself: Hinode of Yorokobi. Most people call me Node. Which I don’t like. So call me Hinode.“ She bowed in a way that was elegant and mocking at the same time, her blue eyes never leaving his face.

Genma send her a true smile and bowed his head slightly in a way, that he knew drew attention to his throat. If it hadn't been for a photo Komyo-Sensei took of him while doing that gesture after a performance with his Shamisen in a restaurant near Tea Country, he never would have known he could use so many different parts of his body like for example his _throat_ to ooze sex-appeal. This had the woman practically drooling over him. „Genma. From Konoha.“

„So Genma it is,“ she grinned devilishly and slipped another grape in his direction, immediately astounded when he captured it between his lips shortly before sinfully swallowing it with a faint yet satisfied moan. Her cheeks colored remarkably, and she visibly struggled to regain her composure.

„Woahhhhh….“ She said after a few moments, then bounced back to Nūr in obvious excitement and whispered: „You saw that?“

Nūr not only looked angry but also a little jealous. Her cheeks had colored a little and confirmed that yes indeed she had seen that - and liked it. She stalked to her meal and started to fill herself a cup of tea before finally looking up again, clearly avoiding Genma. „What do you want, Node?“ 

The woman's index finger pointed a few meters to their left in lightening speed. To Nūr's critical look she rubbed the back of her head. „Can’t blame me to be curious about what all the fuss is about. Oroka is telling everyone, Shinju almost bit off his leg after the arena match. You really blame me to want to see him with my own eyes? The girls said he's eye candy. The arena fight must have been... awesome! I would have loved to see it! A shame Nakamura-Sensei won’t let me.“ 

„Be glad!“, Nūr harrumphed.

Hinode let out an exaggerated sigh and folded her arms. But her words made clear she couldn’t care less about Nūr’s opinion. „Well, it can’t be helped. Nakamura-Sensei lives only for perpetual nagging. Being constantly dissatisfied fuels her spirits. Wonder when’s the last time she had sex. She is still mad with me about the way I attended to Makoto-San after the tee ceremony. He’s always spouting off about nature and bugs. Boooring! Philosophy: boooring! There is no chance for someone like me to entertain someone like him! Never! Still, he asked for my company again... aaahhh! And about my kokyo-play... Nakamura-Sensei let me practice again for hours, letting me always repeat the same boring and much too easy technical exercises. How am I supposed to become a better player when she doesn’t let me play the really challenging pieces! My back muscles are killing me and my left hand is blotched with blisters. I’m sure Makoto-San will get sick if he sees this... Look at them!“ She waved her fingers in front of Nūr’s face. „Well, you see now my life hasn’t been the same without you. Please, please help me, Nūr-Hime.“

„Breakfast first! In silence! Afterwards I’ll see what I can do for your fingers.“

„You’re the best!“

So she sat down in front of the cells and let them eat. „I miss you. Here. To remember you about how much I love you I brought you something to lighten the mood: ‚Midnight-Moaning, part 2 - The Four Kunoichi and the Lonely Samurai‘. Exactly what you need to kill time down here. Almost as breathtaking as Icha Icha.“

Genma cringed inwardly while drinking a cup of fresh water.

„It’s about love and stuff. Totally porn with plot. Almost non-stop sexy-time to make you question reality.“ Her eyes landed back on Genma’s relaxed sitting form, practically glued on his bobbing adam's apple while drinking. „Then again...“ 

As if in thought she tilted her head to the side, tapping her chin, the little number of active brain cells probably spinning like wild. Then she shook her head and tussled her hair. „My, normally I totally know when I come face to face with someone of my profession, but with you... I can't tell! You have an excellent body, totally golden ratio and stuff, and probably the most symmetric face I’ve ever seen... Handsome and attractive, absolutely,... but not the total pretty type... It is almost... as if your sex-appeal comes naturally somehow. Almost... unconsciously. I didn't even know a throat could look like that. A Geisha's neck, yes, of course, but a man's _throat_... Is it pheromones?“

Nūr looked up from her new book and lifted a strict eyebrow. „Hinode...“ A warning.

Hinode sighed. „Everyone who comes down here or who works here has been warned of you. That you can be... really charming. I think they were right. You look harmless enough to keep down ones guard and wink at you with one's pantie without knowing. And since yesterday's fight everyone is wondering who you are. Shinju... There are a lot of rumors. For example: You are a monster that devours young children at night.  
Another says, you’re a damn good seduction expert... You are currently topic number one amongst the girls here.“

Genma didn’t even blink. In a way, these rumors fit…

“But the biggest sensation certainly was your attack on Red-Sama. Totally woah! Everyone went crazy about that. Some even demanded for your immediate execution, others... Well, we others wonder,“ her bursted into a shark like grin, „if you will do it again.“

Her blue eyes were so big, naked craving for sensation practically shining in them, that Genma now was certain to have another beautiful but tragically corrupted girl in front of him. Reading her body language was tragically easy. That's why he suspected her not to be a kunoichi like Nūr. It made him almost feel bad that he was already using his skills on her. When he deliberately denied her an answer, she even started to pout.

„Come on. Will you do it? Will you? Every information on you is currently worth a lot of money. The very fact I know your first name now is... wow. Is there anything else I should know about, and I know there is...? The color of your eyes? Hazelnut. Nice. How does your hair feel? It's beautiful. Is that a tattoo or a puppet seal on your shoulder? Any exciting scars? No wedding ring... A lover waiting somewhere, ready to gut everyone who invades your personal space? Come one! Give me something!" 

Genma only commented by rising an eyebrow to her babbling. She was the type of girl to jump to answers herself if you let her talk for long enough. Unnerving if you really paid attention, you might even risk a few brain cells because of inactivity just by listening, but he's met worse people or prostitutes.

"Hm... I could bring you your favorite meals, literature, cigarettes,... Well? How may I please you...?“

Again he gave her an honest smile and Hinode practically melted into the bars. Was she even aware she had approached his cell again? If it would make any sense he could easily catch her now to use her as a hostage, but in a place like this her life was too easily replaced that an escape plan like that could work. Instead of her throat he intentionally caught her eyes, just that little moment too long for a normal conversation - but not long enough to creep her out, and there it was again: the faint glow on her cheeks. Without thinking, she asked involuntarily: „My god: What is your favorite position?“

Nūr bristled at her words: „Hinode, will you shut up now!“

„What? Just look at him! That’s material for fantasies... MY fantasies! And he didn’t even blink to my question. If I needed any verification I now have it: he’s totally working in my line of field. Busy little bee that I am, I can make a lot of money with that information. So... how about some more... juicy details?“ She suggestively wiggled her eyebrows. „Anything?“

„A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell.“

A pout. „Oh please... Just a little hint? Or a story about an ex-girlfriend? Did you ever had to kill someone you fell in love with? Woah, that would have been totally heartbreaking, like Icha Icha... Hmmmm.... Do you prefer women? Or men? As a seduction expert there must be a lot you’ve done already.“

The way she never stood still and chattered reminded Genma of the chats he had with some prostitutes in Konoha’s finest brothel. Komyo-Sensei let all of her pupils gather experience in every way they chose. Thus, Genma had held conversations about topics he would have never thought about - some he would rather not remember but might have scratched his soul forever. Things about desire and lust that had been priceless for his work. Hinode’s unselfconciousness reminded him of the woman and men of that establishment.

„Both.“ The konoha shinobi allowed her this little piece of information to jolly her along.

As expected her reaction was ecstatic. „Oh, oh, that’s material for my jail-fantasies... Should I ask Dorei or Ashita if they want to join in?“ 

„No, thank you.“

„It makes me all hot and bothered to talk to you. Where's Dorei now? I need him...“

Genma suppressed the urge to rise another eyebrow. Instead, he allowed himself a bold look which again put the inexperienced woman under his spell. It was really too easy because  
she was utterly willing to get involved with him. In contrast to Nūr ,Hinode was a very intuitive and sensual person - though not the brightest of lights.

„Enough, ’Node!“ Nūr warned. „You aren’t Kaitou-Sama. Even if you use all of your pretended innocence you’ll never be as good as him in gathering information. He only uses his cunning brain. You are too stupid for that.“

The addressed woman demonstratively stuck out her tongue. „Bite me! It’s my nature - so I’m only a slave to my genes. And you know greasy sex-stories at this place are worth a _lot_... Don't be like that. He must know too much to be only trapped in that sexy skull oh his... Any details about a sexy threesome? An orgy?“

That made Genma laugh. Oh, for sure he knew some... But if that puppet jutsu triggered intense flashbacks, as Crazy-Nūr had said, he better not relieved one of _those_ now...

„Oh, he’s so charming and polite. Even his laugh sounds pleasant...“

„Not everyone is as unnerving as you are, Node! And now show me your ugly fingers.“

„Yippeah! Your magic hand is the best!“

„Oh, wait until my other hand joins the fun...“

Genma stopped short.

_His hand was pleasantly firm around his own shaft. The wall was cool against his naked back, the bedsheets soft. The fingers of his other hand lazily played with his balls, and he decided to let his bent left knee sink just a tiny bit nearer to the mattress to prove his flexibility and to give the other a better view._

_Contrary to Genma Kakashi was still wearing his complete jounin uniform. The interesting detail was: the elite jounin was bound to a chair in especially tight chakra wires. One of Ibiki’s special designs. Good thing the T&I specialist had no clue Genma copied the design to divert them from their intended use into a nice addition of kinky foreplay._

_The tokujou relished the wild look in Kakashi’s eyes and the arousal he was causing in the other. „Wait until my other hand joins the fun...“ His left hand slid almost accidentally against his lips, tongue slipping out to moisten the tips before letting the hand travel down his body... He was feeling so aroused by now, that the sensation caused him to shudder languorously and let a soft sigh escape his lips._

_In no time Kakashi got rid of the wires and climbed the bed Genma was sitting on, stopping the hand to replace it with his own._

_„Spoilsport,“ Genma purred._

_Teasing his entrance, Kakashi leaned in for a deep and sensual kiss, before he let the soft tip of his already dripping cock nudge and slide down _there_. „I totally disagree…“ _

Damn!

Genma blinked and suppressed a groan. That was probably one of the hottest memories of his former lover. The flashback had been so intense he’d thought for a moment to be there again. Damn puppet jutsu, damn Hinode asking about filthy sex stories, damn his unsaturated libido. But... if he was honest with himself, he could totally use a nice good nice fuck to release some stress... Stress did that to his body. Damn it.

When he was able to focus on reality again, he noticed Hinode’s eyes on him. „I... want to know.“

Genma ignored the lump in his throat and went for a raw laugh instead. „A gentleman never kisses and tells.“

„Oh my god, _hoarse voice!_ Er... Could I interest you in any information about... everything going on here in this place?“  
The corners of his mouth lifted, and he made sure to speak in a somewhat rough-edged voice. „Absolutely.“

For a moment, she was dumbstruck. „A-awesome. Will you... will you please reward me with some filthy stories of your life? Even if its about cooking, preferably naked....“  
It was almost like training a puppy: rewarding good behavior. „It might have happened.“

„Ever done that on a seduction mission?”

“Twice.”

“Niiice - and incredible lewd. Did it work?“

He let a fine smile play his lips. “Yes.”

_ If he hadn’t been waiting for something to happen he would have jumped when a firm hand suddenly glided along his naked buttocks. _

_„Good morning to you, too.“_

_Genma chuckled in answer to the horse voice against his ear. „Knew you’d appreciate it.“_

_„You only wearing an apron or you cooking?“_

_Genma shrugged, still focused on his task, though Kakashi's smart fingers were starting to be a strong and incredibly arousing distraction. "You deci-" A soft bite into his earlobe and two fingers sliding in at once made him drop the spatula, and he had to grip onto the countertop or his knees would have given way. The hoarse chuckle against his neck was hot as hell. "Fuck! F-fuck me-"_

He led his head fall back against the bars with a thud and ran his hand over his hair. Kakashi - that hot bastard. No one had been able to turn the tables on him in less than seconds like the copy-nin. He could still remember, practically _feel_ how the other had rocked his body against the countertop, the strength in the other's trained body and strong arms keeping them both upright and-

“That totally was another memory! Tell me!”

“No.” He closed his eyes, trying to blend out her unnerving questioning and his sad and neglected arousal. Why was Kakashi so damn hot? He was getting a little desperate here. Was it the hair? The voice? The air of freak?

“No? Harsh. You totally are the sadist everyone will be talking about in the future once I spread the news.“

That made Genma groan. But he now had gathered enough information on her that he had an idea how to divert her attention.

“Hm. Next time Makoto-San wants to carry on a philosophical conversation about the beauty of nature you’re not feeling up to, let him talk in monologue.”

„Huh? Wh- How?“

„Ask him this one question: What _is_ beauty? That’s one of philosophy’s central problems. The attempt for an adequate answer should keep him busy for the evening, if he’s really into philosophy. That’s my advice - from one specialist to another.  
And about your Kokyo-play-" Both women blinked in suprise, "I happen to know a bit about it. For example put ointment onto the fingertips of your left hand to keep the skin smooth. It’ll help prevent blisters. There is no way to avoid regular practice. Correct breathing and posture will help with the tension in your back. Also, a relaxed attitude. Few but efficient practice is much more efficient than playing for hours and hours under duress. Less time in the exercise rooms also means more time to satisfy your curiosity outside.“

Hinode was totally flabbergasted and - for change - dumbfounded. 

It was the beginning of something new. He found some kind of ally. Of course this ally came with limits. No one in their right mind would trust her with vital intel. But it was better than nothing. And she was much easier to bribe than Nūr. If he was lucky, she would even spread enough rumors about him to catch the interest of an ally. Konoha _might_ still be searching for him after all.

Soon the guards came to retrieve him from his cell and bring him to the laboratories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally admit it was fun to write someone like Hinode, as unnerving as someone like her must be. There were some more topics I would have liked to let them talk about but in my mind they are interesting, too. She will not appear much in the future, I only included her because I thought Genma should have the chance to get some crazy questions posed at him and to have a different character than Nūr down there. And of course because I really missed some more sexy Kaka-Gen time...
> 
> Other than that... this chapter is totally useless^_^° hahahaa
> 
> I'll pick up the pace now to get to the final. Writing in english is just too time consuming.^^°


	19. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For me mind altering drugs are one of the most scary things ever. After hearing a report on the radio of course I had to include them somehow into this story. Absolutely creepy. Concerning drugs I'll stick to my daily coffee.
> 
> On with the originally plan of this story. And yes, the mixture of dark themes and attempted humor is deliberate.

The village was small and dirty. More than one of the tiny wood houses looked ready to collapse any minute. Moss and grasses grew on the roofs, one or two skinny goats strayed the bumpy road. Everything was screaming of neglect.

The few people they passed looked at Kakashi and Raidou with hostile eyes, distrust written clearly on their haggard faces. Some ragged children followed them in safe distance - instead of playing, they were just staring.

Kakashi was sure: if he and Raidou hadn’t chosen to disguise themselves in dirty old clothes they stole in another village, the people would consider robbing them on the spot. Or worse. In the almost ten minutes it took them to cross the mountain village they had received more immoral proposals than... well, ever. Young women, old women, even some that might have been too young, also some guys... Everyone was so desperate to gain some money here... Some seemingly lost all inhibitions and maybe even their dignity and saw one of the few ways for survival in prostitution. Or robbery. Or murdering. So much misery in only one village. And there were hundreds in the mountains surrounding Yorokobi.

Raidou had used a henge no jutsu - „Genma’s favorite“ - he had explained, but Kakashi wasn’t able to use any sorts of jutsu at the moment and chose to go for his trusty Sukea disguise. Good thing his face was dirty enough to scare at least some people off. 

In order to learn more about this country they had chosen this route through the mountains instead of the main street that would lead directly to Yorokobi. There everyone would have seen their faces, too, before they'd even reached the city. So Kakashi had decided to take the side streets to not alarm the wrong people too early about their approaching. Good old stealthy shinobi way.

What they were able to witness now was more than poverty: the country was poor, the government corrupted, people were dying of hunger, diseases and apparantly drugs to an unsettling degree. The economy of a country like that must implode at some time, civil wars, revolution,.... But no. There wasn't any energy left for that. The pulsating dark heart of Yorokobi kept the miserable country alive, though it didn’t seem to care for the people nearby. Investors from neighboring countries brought enough money... and also to mafia. The promises of a thousand different kinds of joy in Yorokobi attracted men and women afar from the borders of this country. A perfect working wheel. A lot of money, even more promises and dangers.

Not many Konoha shinobi visited this country. Rumors had it, Jiraya-Sama based his second novel on Yorokobi. But this was mafia territory. Not even Earth and Sand Country were careless when dealing with the Land of Bears.

When they left the small village, Kakashi nodded shortly towards the woods and both shinobi vanished into the cover of a majestic oak tree. Three villagers appeared on the street, looking for them with small rusty knives. When they couldn’t find them, they lost interest and went back to whatever they had been doing before. 

Kakashi sighed. Between leaves of their oak tree the far but colorful and opulent buildings of Yorokobi lie ahead of them, still hours away but nonetheless imposing. The contrast between poor and rich couldn’t be harsher than here. 

„The misery of the population is out of scale. I wouldn’t have thought it possible for a country that isn’t in a state of war to be this drained of any will to live or the simple possibility to prosper. From what we’ve seen so far this land has potential but it’s resources are diverted to only a few. Except from working in the mine there doesn't seem to be much left to do. Yorokobi is like a parasite that no one has the power to remove anymore. It will be difficult to operate here, I’d even go so far as to say: everyone here is an enemy.“ When the special jounin at his side stayed mute, Kakashi took a closer look. Pain from the broken rips, yes, but also a slightly accelerated breathing.

„You look stressed, Raidou-san. Is there anything else on your mind?“

„I...“ One of the Tokujou’s strong hands was pressed against a temple. „It wasn’t always like that. The land, the people, I mean... Or at least... there had been a chance for the  
... Daimyo to lead the country into another direction.“

Compassion was always one of Raidou’s stronger traits along his absolute integrity. But there was something else. Kakashi started to massage his hurting wrist. „I take it he chose different?“

„The choice was taken from him. I ... I think I know why this country is... in a state like this...“

Kakashi curiously studied the sorrowful face of his fellow jounin. Was there something like... guilt? „How so?“

„I... I’ve been here before. With a team. It’s not the first time I am here nearby Yorokobi.“

Kakashi cocked his head to the side and the guilt on Raidou’s face was now obvious.

„I think that... maybe... Konoha is responsible for this. Iwashi. Genma. And me.“

~*~*~

They kept treating him like a maximum security prisoner. Which was actually fun. Especially when Dorei tried to shave him and to cut his hair. At least, they provided him with good food, fresh clothes as well as the possibility to use the bath two times a day. Considering hygiene he’s certainly had it worse.

On the whole it was still one of his most strange captivities. He’d been captured more often than he would have preferred, but he’d always made it out alive - on his own or with the help of others. Once he had been 'rescued' by Iwa-ninjas and ended up as part of a prisoner exchange. The Hokage had been furious but Iwa had made sure he wasn’t able to end his own life. Oh, how he had wanted to end it then and there, because he had killed that innocent child... He’d been so distracted by the cruelty of his own successful mission, that he’d let himself be captured by his employer, who had turned out to be mafia. Yeah, _this_ mafia. His first encounter with the Yamaguji-group, though he hadn’t known it then. Still, his first visit to the Country of Bears had been a disaster. He got separated from his team - Raidou and Iwashi - was captured and after less than two hours rescued - by Iwa-shinobi. What followed was the first time someone forcibly subdued him with drugs. It had been terrible. Not that he’d remembered much of his time there, but the aftermath... He had been lucky Iwa didn’t have a clue who he was exactly and Konoha needed him for the Hiraishin. Or Raidou and Iwashi didn’t want to let him down. That’s why he was still alive. He’d lost his face and started to work extra hard to regain Hiruzen’s trust. That’s when he started to also take lessons from Kōmyō-Sensei and expanded his profession from assassination to include seduction, too. 

And look where that had brought him: in the hands of the Yamaguji-group ...again. Once a day he was escorted to a special room with a strange stone chair that was covered in seals. Even without access to his chakra Genma was able to feel the strange power the chair emitted. They made him sit down on it and hogtied him to it - maximum security prisoner style. A blindfold and something to block his hearing was also put onto his head. Only the palms of his hands were still free. When he started to consider this a form of punishment for his attack on the Oyabun, cold small objects were placed onto his hands - onto the chakra points there.

He knew immediately that it was the mineral. And he could feel how the seals on the chair made his chakra connect with the Sōsu without his will. Briefly he wondered if that was how a milk cow was feeling. But then again: the cow probably didn’t understand her situation. 

He bit his teeth in anger. Not only a milk cow but a cash cow, too? It was only natural for him to make it as difficult for them as possible - for he was now sure they wouldn’t kill him. 

That day he almost bit off a guard’s finger. The man had even shed some unmanly tears and Genma couldn’t help but feel a little satisfied after this. Well. A dislocated shoulder and a twisted knee later he was back in his cell, black and blue and with some ice for his knee. Nūr only healed him a few minutes before his next arena match. But it had been worth it.

That became their daily routine. Food, the chair, some attempt of resistance. Sometimes they even drew blood samples again. Sometimes scientists came to examine him when he was bound to the chair. Even an old woman, Genma named her ‘the witch’, sometimes visited to examine his chakra. From what he was able to understand she was exceptional at chakra sensing. Sometimes they injected something into his arm - with different aftermaths. Sometimes he felt dizzy, sometimes he threw up, sometimes he felt absolutely high. In a way it felt like his body was raped. And he was beginning to feel the stress from it. Being reduced to one component of his chakra without any consideration of his mind and body... If that was his life from now on he must try to flee at all costs. His mind was being taken apart...

Maybe he deserved it. He’d been the good soldier Konoha needed him to be, had a lot of more missions than most because of the Hiraishin, he had caused a lot of harm - and was still causing it... The days passed and at one point he’d stopped counting how many minerals he had charged. But considering the fact that they could be used up but recharged like batteries he expected an endless vicious circle.

He could break like this. So much for his dreams to die in the arms of a sexy lover.

On many evenings he was brought to the arena.

His daily routine was straining, and he became more and more tired. The flashbacks he experienced from time to time were now all about the darkest moments of his life. Nightmares haunted his sleep and more than once he caught himself imagining his friends here with him. Oh, the deep talks he‘d held with Raidou and Kakashi and once even with Gai... Maybe it was the drugs. Maybe the stress. Maybe both. 

He knew he was slowly losing his mind. He used all his training, meditation, everything he knew, to counter it, to keep up his health and sanity.

He was a pro. He could do a lot of things and had done even more. And still there was no chance for change. Red always kept his distance, no chance to negotiate, no chance for a change. No one found him here...

The first fights had been animal fights. Exotic predators from far worlds he sometimes hadn’t even heard of. Bears, the big brown ones that were the name givers for the Land of Bears, but also gorillas, lions and tigers. 

He hated to fight animals. He apologized to Kakashi’s ninken now and then. He liked these hallucinations, even though Nūr kept casting him nasty glances.  
Then fights against other shinobi followed. Nuke-Nins. Or others. Hinode informed him as good as possible when she visited him, but she now also laughed at him when he was stoned. Taijutsu-fights were normal, but weapons were used, too, and two times Genma fought in a so called „ninja-fight“. Then a blue almost invisible wall of chakra shielded the audience from the arena and the shinobi were allowed to use their chakra and flashy ninjutus. That had also been the time a kunoichi had choked Genma almost to death with her fancy animated-scarfs-jutsu... A nightmare of red shawls...

Even though he didn’t win all his matches, one thing he managed for sure: he caught the interest of the audience. He used all of his charms to entertain them, caught some of the people’s eye and made them give him presents like weapons, armor or pretty jewels. The latter he gave Hinode or Nūr or traded them for everything that could help him lighten the mood down here. Surprisingly, that was mostly tea. Raidou's favorite blend.

When fighting, he used every skill he had learned from Kōmyō-Sensei. He used his body and mind seducing the target, which was in his case a whole crowd. And the crowd loved him for it.

He played along their game like he knew his sister had done before him. Seduction on a whole new level, and on more than one occasion they send him in high, but somehow he still managed to do it. Improvisation in a life threatening situation - that’s what Konoha taught him. So, high or not, he fought. He once considered not fighting at all, but simply knew, they only had to activate the puppet jutsu. And how to seduce someone greedy by protesting?

It was common knowledge the Oyabun rarely visited the arena matches, at least, that was what Hinode had told him, but he never missed one of Genma’s.

It was like a game because everyone here loved to gamble.

Sometimes Genma deliberately sacrificed parts of his clothes - just to give the excited ladies in the audience a little show.

And every time the match was over, the expectant crowd fell silent. And every time Genma delivered.

An arrow, a loose part of his armor, on one occasion even a wind jutsu that had sent some toupees flying, and then there was this special and wonderful moment, when he got his fingers on a kunai with an explosion tag...

Again he’d spent the night in his cell beaten black and blue - Dorei had even volunteered and Nūr wasn’t allowed to heal him. The Oyabun had needed a new expensive seat. Absolutely worth it.

But whatever he did, it seemed to be never enough. His daily routine never changed, the Oyabun still didn’t speak to him, Hinode seldom was a good source of information. How was he supposed to change something, find his sister, if nothing changed? The crowd was on his side, that MUST mean something to the Oyabun... 

This evening Genma hid something in his sleeve he had been hoping to get his fingers on for three weeks now. Dangerously thin, very pointy and hard to see in the arena lights. They should have known better than to allow this kind of weapon to one of his matches.

He’d just killed his two opponents of the evening, two chunin-level rogue nins from Waterfall. The two bodies tumbled to the ground, Genma’s kunai clad hands landed on the sandy ground again, and he let the momentum end up in a forward roll to conceal the moment he finally spit the senbon...

The Oyabun’s hand flashed in front of his face, the thin weapon caught in the bleeding hand it had pierced through. The senbon had also pierced the skin between his eyes. a drop of blood slowly making its way down the bridge of his nose. 

Anger burst through the arena like a shock wave.

Well, that was the first display of emotion since the beginning of their „dance“. A little bit more fierce than expected, but still. So yes: He _was_ more than just some crazy charging station for minerals or an arena fighter.

The Oyabun rose from his seat and the uproar died down.

Never before had the Oyabun risen from his seat before the end of a match (except that lovely time Genma had sent the explosion tag into his chair-back).

The people surrounding the mafia-boss backed off, some noticed the blood and seemed ready to panic.

The trembling bookmaker that seldom left the Oyabun’s side produced a handkerchief from somewhere, but Red ignored the man and went past him with one stride. A powerful jump made him fly gracefully through the air land with a thunk on the arena floor. Dust rose and the ground cracked considerately.

Genma had to hold an arm in front of his face. When he wanted to put it down again someone gripped his wrist and twisted his arm painfully and fast behind his back. The hard and massive body of Red-Sama was like a wall behind him. „A lovely display of insolence again, Shiranui!“

Genma turned his head a little to the side and send the other a lopsided grin. „The efforts one has to undergo to get your attention...“

„Most people are afraid to get my attention! You’ve got it now!“ Even though the words were hissed, the deep bass send shivers down Genma’s spine. The angry flaring chakra prickled along his skin, and again he felt drawn to it like a moth to the light. „What do you want?“

„I want to see my sister.“

„You are bound to an oath. I don’t want you to see her.“

„That easy?“

The grip on his arm tightened. That probably meant yes.

Angrily Genma bit his teeth, fire burning in his eyes. „What kind of game are you playing? Will you only let me be a jester for the crowds and the charging station for the fucking minerals - for the rest of my life!?“

Red scoffed. „Actually no. Not when it is about you and your...“ His cheek twitched and he let the rest of the sentence die unsaid, but pressed his hard body against Genma’s to make him feel how excited the Konoha shinobi’s „display of insolence“ had made him.

Lifelong training kicked in and stopped Genma from expressing any hint of distaste. _That_ hadn’t been exactly what he’d been aiming for but then again: it was a chance. And he'd had certainly done worse.

He hadn’t expected the Oyabun to be interested in women _and_ men, but he knew from experience that men in all-powerful positions like the mafia-boss got used to simply take everything they already had in their possession. They were used to being offered everything. Genma’s resistance must have provided him with a different form of entertainment. Just when he thought he didn't have any effect on that man...

An unknown fear crept up Genma’s spine like a spider. Had he ever dealt with someone as powerful and dangerous? This was hostile territory and they already put so many security jutsus on his body along with the drugs... What if he couldn't trust his instincts anymore?

He tensed and looked up. Immediately four spears aimed at his chest.

Dorei tried to burn him with his eyes, but at the same time he protected his throat, doubtlessly remembering the moment Genma almost bit him there.

Snakelike, a justu winded itself around Genma’s wrists and bound them together behind him. The foreign chakra was hot and tingling his skin, pleasant.... Whose arousing chakra was that again? Red’s? He’d love to feel that more often, it was strangely ... appealing.

The weapons vanished from his sight and the guards cleared the path.

Surprised, Genma understood that this time it would be Red himself to escort him out of the arena. Fear and excitement at once fought in him for dominance.

_Now or never, Genma... Get a step nearer to your sister, use the moment...._

As soon as the audience understood what was happening, the cheering started again. Flowers, money and other things rained down on them but Red didn’t concern himself with it and lead the Tokujou out of the arena with fast strides.

The match was over. The dangerous game continued.

_Now or never..._

*~*

Red sands and the erratic flickering of the torches bathed the corridor in an eerie, all consuming glow. Everything seemed to bow to Red’s power - even the light, Genma darkly joked to himself.

The other was directly behind him, the broad shoulder in almost permanent contact with Genma’s. A good sign. Something, Genma could work with - or get himself killed with.

Only two guards accompanied them, Dorei and another, but they kept a respectful distance.

„And here I feared nothing would enlighten my boring days in the cave except the seal-chair and the arena,“ Genma remarked in a lazy tone. The bonds around his wrists tightened shortly, cutting into flesh. Definitely Red’s chakra. The foreign and wild chakra invaded his system like lava and a wave of heat caught Genma by surprise and made him gasp. What kind of chakra was that? Why was it so appealing? His body might even get interested in that feeling for real.

„You’ve been here for three weeks now. Three weeks of constantly teasing me,“ the Oyabun growled. But there was also a certain satisfaction in his voice that made Genma's smugness return. 

He sent the tall shinobi a look over his shoulder, trying to hide his own excitement about the development of the... situation. The moment before a seduction became successful, the excitement if it would fail...

_Now..._

He blamed it on the shitty drugs. Or the shitty puppet jutsu. Or the fact that he missed his comrades, missed Raidou, missed ... Kakashi... Or the fact that he was a sleek assassin that didn't hesitate to use his body to get someone's interest-to gain someone's trust.

„It was hard to get your attention.“

„There wasn’t even a second of your matches you didn’t have it.“

The special jounin smiled in dark self-satisfaction. „How about negotiations? Like a tea ceremony? A little daylight for a change? I thought I was worth more than _that_.“

Next thing he knew a strong hand pressed down on his neck and hurled him powerfully against the wall, knocking the air out of his lungs. The massive, muscular body hardly left room to breath and Genma’s heartbeat thundered in his ears. Last time someone had manhandled him against a wall like that, some very, very hot and kinky exercises with a Hatake Kakashi had followed...

„You are worth exactly what I allow you to be, Shiranui!“ The deep voice sent vibrations down his spine and Genma was in his element.

„No,“ he retorted placidly and pressed his ass against the others' crotch. His bound hands clawed at the expensive fabric of the Oyabun’s clothes. 

„I am worth much more than this. And we both know that.“

He made his own hands tingle with what little bit of chakra he still had access to after his match, and let his fingertips go for a little wandering. Red seized his hands away from himself, but without taking his nose out of Genma’s hair. The breaths became louder and Genma knew he had long since won-with his first match in the arena. Gain the targets trust by letting him forget everything but the possible pleasure.

But what he didn’t expect was Red opening his fly on the spot, followed by the rubbing of a hard cock against the fabric covering Genma’s ass... in front of the two guards. „Shiranui... Is there any Shiranui with abilities like yours?“

„Me.“

A chuckle. „You won’t be able to make me addicted to you like the others.“

Genma frowned in irritation. What was that supposed to mean?

„The crowd... Gosaburo... Everyone..., you attracted them all. Even Kaitou, albeit he should have known better.“

Nimble fingers loosened Genma’s waistband and a strong and chunky hand glided surprisingly tender over the hard muscles of the tokujou’s stomach. Playfully they circled his navel, explored the muscles of his chest a little before working themselves gently but assertively south. Orange-red chakra left a tingling trail and the konoha nin was only a little surprised his little Genma got interested.

It was like his own chakra was responding in a total unknown but overwhelming way.

„You are arrogant and disrespectful,“ a nibbling at his ear, teeth and a sharp pain, „and at the same time,“ the chakra bonds around his wrists cut into his skin again, but this time it felt strangely euphoric, „you are probably the most attractive being I ever possessed.“ Big hands pressed Genma’s body extremely tight against the man. He deeply inhaled his scent and the dark blond gulped.

Then he pulled Genma’s pants down just enough to grab the muscular ass cheeks with both hands. He almost painfully kneaded the flesh before letting his thump grace the tight hole.

Situations like this had occurred in his life more often than was healthy for his friends to know. He had no clue why he'd rarely had a problem to give his body to a foreigner without any feelings involved - only the success of a mission in mind. It took a special kind of craziness to go on with that for so long, he knew, but that's why he was so good at it. Because he didn't mind. And in the end it was usually the target that ended up in his mercy.

Genma let himself be completely absorbed by the situation. He spread his legs a little farther, only to be stopped by the pants around his thighs.

The rough hands retreated only to come back coated in a cool salve or oil. A hand on his shoulder pressed him down onto one digit that immediately slipped into his hole, and he gasped wetly.

„You came prepared,“ he remarked hoarsely.

“You’ve been teasing me for weeks. All these moments, showing off your skills, your adaptiveness to every situation I made you face, your body … It was all for me, making me crazy for you.”

“That’s not a question.”

A second finger inserted itself rather brutally, pressing him more firmly against the hand still on his shoulder. “Answer me.”

“Of course, ngh... It was all for you, Red-Sama. And you allowed me to do it – over - nh - and over - ah - again. Because I am much more than what you’ve been letting me do till now.” He moaned when the tall shinobi pressed in another finger, stretching the hole for the man's yet unknown size.

“That’s for me to decide!”

“No. I already took that decision from you and you know that,” Genma whispered.

Red chuckled darkly as he withdrew his fingers. “It’s easy to understand what my brother saw in you.”

Genma frowned. _‘Brother?’_ With a roll of hips the tick length was thrusted deep inside him and pushed away all further thought. He groaned happily, enjoying the mixture of pain and stretch. It was almost overwhelming. He loved the feeling of being filled, and that penis stretched his insides veeery nicely. After all these days in the catacombs he was yearning for… something.

Arms entwined his upper body possessively, effectively pressing him to the steely muscles. “When I say jump, you jump, Shinju!”

A chuckle. „Ts. The name’s Genma. And really? You think now, ngh - with your thick cock buried so… _deep_ into my ass, ngh,... is a good time to talk about jumping?”

Red groaned in frustration and pressed Genma’s face with his underarm against the rough wall. Then he started to thrust slow and deep into the body, obviously enjoying the feeling and the teasing a lot more than he would have liked himself, if the choked grunting made evident. Smelling Genma’s neck, grabbing the soft hair, he rested the sweaty forehead against Genma’s back of the head while thrusting almost in slow motion, obviously savoring the friction a lot. “You might be the best drug the Yamaguji-family ever possessed.“

Genma offered his neck, feeling dark satisfaction steeling his resolve to save his sister. „So take me then.“ 

And Red followed his order.


	20. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: sex, mainly a seduction expert at work. Death. Dark (though I deleted some scenes it still turned out not too brightly).
> 
> On with the story - the final is almost there.

When he was done, Red stayed with his hard muscled body tightly pressed against the smaller man, panting into the crook of his neck. Without this hold the tokubetsu wasn’t sure if he would be able to stand, though he couldn't care less at the moment.

To say it had been intense would be an understatement.

Something weird had happened with their chakra and everything had been... _more_.

Genma was a little shaken. He'd never experienced something like this before. Not with Kakashi, not with... with no one. And it creeped the hell out of him. What kind of power had the Oyabun over him? Once or twice a target had mentioned, his chakra felt incredible. Was this a taste of his own medicine? Was this part of the puppet jutsu? Or was there something else he didn’t know about? Some crazy chakra connection? He couldn’t shake the nagging feeling it had something to do with the Sōsu. And that intrigued the shinobi in him who had been trained for years to gather any sort of valuable information.

He balled his hands into fists to stop them from shaking. His knees still felt like pudding. Walking would be hell but never ever would he ask Nūr to heal him _there_.

His thoughts were interrupted when the other slowly retrieved himself. The telltale sounds of a condom being fastened into a knot let the lips of the honey blond ninja curl into a lopsided grin. Would Red keep that in his trousers until he found a dustbin? Would he let it fall dramatically into the open palm of one of his underlings? Like the bookmaker that seldom left his side?

_Focus, Genma! This is Red behind you!_

He let his forehead drop against the cold stone but turned it enough to the side to look back over his shoulder.

No one said a word but the heated look they exchanged was telling enough.

Genma understood enough: he was in deep, deep shit. His situation was way severer than he had thought till now. Maybe he had miscalculated when he‘d started to annoy this man. There had been a reason the mafia boss had kept his distance from him till now. Maybe THAT reason. But now it was too late for regrets.

The bonds around his hands loosened and Genma was able to pull up his pants again, his own breathing too loud to his ears, brain cells combining and analyzing feverishly. After years of accomplishing his missions by seducing women or men, and on one or two occasions even both at the same time, he had learned to trust his gut in matters of boldness. Still, it was always playing with the fire and could backfire. In situations like these, with only few weapons or even without, boldness could mean death. So far his intuition had saved his ass many times.

With that in mind he looked up at the mafia boss again. One of the most dangerous shinobi he’d ever faced - especially that close. And this time he waited for permission to speak. The moment was too... important to mess it up. But the next sentence confirmed Genma’s instinct had been right.

„What do you want?“, Red asked. Harsh and simple, but it could as well have been a book of thousand words.

A favor. Meeting his sister was off limits, so he had to take smaller steps, but still: he had managed to intrigue the man enough to melt a little of that hard walls away that guided the man’s stone-cold heart.

„Nūr. The woman in my neighboring cell. She doesn’t belong there.“

The Oyabun’s face was unreadable, but with every passing breath the coldness slowly bled back into his eyes.

„She deserves better than the cage.“ Genma pressed.

The tall man’s cocking of his head was the only sign that he was indeed considering the request and the tokubetsu jounin had the distinct feeling, that would be enough.

Red sorted his expensive outfit, turned around and left without another word.

The guards bowed deeply until the man was gone, then they hurried to Genma’s sides and escorted him - thank god for small wonders - directly to the showers.

~*~*

After a thorough soak in the onsen, Ashita, the red-haired shinobi who always wore black, joined the guards that brought him back and his the Oyabun enthusiastically adoring healer saw to most of his wounds.

Even though his own mind was in turmoil he was still able to clearly detect her stress - her levels of creepiness were flipping. It was obvious her hands searched for direct skin contact to all the places Red had touched before. Which was... more than a little irritating - it was scary. 

Was she the stalker-type? With a shrine, candles, pictures and voodoo dolls in her closet? Was the sudden pain in his knee because of the voodoo doll that looked like him and at the same time like a pin cushion? ..._ Stop! Calm down! A creepy but beautiful woman seeking skin contact isn’t per se a bad thing, normally...! ... And wasn't he himself losing his sanity, too? _

„You’re especially... systematic today.“

The look she gave him could freeze hell over. „Any other places I should know about that need to be healed?“

Instinctively Genma pressed his ass cheeks together and hoped she didn’t notice. „No. I’m fine. Thank you.“

It was only minutes later that a happy Hinode came for Nūr and brought her back to their shared room. Even though his motives had been different he was surprisingly relieved that she wasn’t there to watch him sleep anymore. It was a change.

*~*~

The next morning the guards came earlier than usual. They escorted him again to the common showers where he happily started his daily cleaning routine. He’d never had so many occasions to take a bath while being imprisoned before. Nice. When Dorei came to shave his face again and Genma’s grin turned shark-like, Ashita took over. The spoilsport.

The emotional and insincere chunin was way more fun than the super loyal and super silent elite ninja.

Fresh clothes were waiting for him and he was amazed to find a formal black and grey kinagashi for him to wear. Another change.

Amazed he followed the guards out of the bathroom and into long labyrinth-like corridors that led to a narrow staircase. After some minutes, Genma was able to distinguish the faint glow of natural light. _Real_ light. Sunlight...

After weeks underground his eyes needed a while to get used to the brightness again, but he happily accepted the price. The ensuing headache soon lost its bite when they reached a drafty corridor with an open arch to one side. It was still too early for the sun to reach the majestic mountains tops, but still... Genma’s heart swelled and an unexpected wave of emotion let him stop right there.

After three weeks he was able to see sunlight again. To see the outside world again. After three weeks of misery, blood and sickening smell, the beauty of nature, the cool and fresh air, the mountains surrounded in golden mist of the early morning, was there again - it was a breathtaking sight.

He’d have loved to stay longer but Dorei decided to shove him forward - very ungentle. _Asshole. Next time I’ll bite for real!_

The corridor led to a beautiful terrace that was the beginning of an even more beautiful and colorful feng shui garden. It was like stepping into another world and Genma involuntarily bit the insides of his mouth in case he was trapped in an illusion. Only a low stone wall separated the garden from a ledge and the abyss behind it and for a moment the Konoha nin allowed himself to imagine himself stepping over the wall and fall into freedom. He’d die with a smile on his face.

Perhaps.

Even though he disliked his situation he knew how to adjust to any demands - or die trying.

It wasn’t a tea ceremony. But it certainly was a confession. A present. He had gained the Oyabun’s attention. And more.

He was allowed to move freely and in no way he’d miss that chance. As far as he understood the man, the Oyabun surely didn‘t bother for the artful and powerful scenery only a master of feng shui could have created. The flowers, trees, ponds or the artful bridges that lead over small streams spoke of harmony, peace and a natural power not even the Namiashi stone garden could have provided. Every stone - be it on land or in the rivulets, were arranged to create a pleasant ripple, every color was gratifying. Some trees looked ancient. It had to be part of the Yamaguji-heritage. Thoughts about Raidou and Shizune, explaining in awe the different tea herbs or plants, lightened his mood enough that a real smile played his lips. And oh, where those poisonous plants in the shadow of that mossy rock? How exciting...

Pagodas, perfectly merged with their surroundings, and small pathways invited the willing to discover more of the secrets of the beautiful and big garden. One pagoda even held a collection of valuable instruments, a sight Genma gladly enjoyed. Though he didn’t dare to try any of them without permission - honor among musicians.

Then it was time for the sun to rise over the mountain tops and her rays flooded the environment and warmed Genma’s cheeks. Sunrise, oh beautiful, beautiful sunrise.

And after more than three weeks he finally felt... healthy again. Whole. In peace. Maybe he actually _could_ do this: rescue his sister and get them both out of this place alive. On his own.

The distant rustling of a waterfall reached his ears and his curiosity got the better of him. He searched for it until he found a small clearing and stopped in his tracks. Whatever he would do to get out of here, it wouldn’t be easy. There, meditating in the icy waters of a small waterfall stood Red... His biggest obstacle.

The man was wearing only black trousers. Barefooted he stood in the freezing waters of the artificially redirected mountain stream, eyes closed, fingertips of both hands pressed together. The black and wild hair was restrained in a tight pigtail. Thick muscles, the infamous red tattoos alongside his torso combined with an air of calmness and deep concentration made Genma gulp. There was no place in this world in which someone would consider this man beautiful, but his blunt and prominent features, the masculinity he emanated... Genma thought he was incredibly attractive.

He knew that this was the part of his own personal craziness that made him suited for his job. He seldom minded using his body for a mission and that special excitement that heated his stomach suddenly, his gut feeling, told him, this could lead to another encounter between the two and that also meant a lot. He now had a foundation to work with - his specialty. If that meant to please the man again: fine. If that meant he'd get more opportunities to kill the other: perfect. Still, he knew he shouldn’t disturb the other man’s meditation. So he turned to leave, but suddenly Ashita blocked his path. The jounin gave a short nod towards the small pond and Genma shrugged- the expensive and flattering clothes he was wearing now should have told him as much. Red had wanted to see him this morning. Good.

But it didn’t look like the Oyabun would quit his meditation soon so the special jounin chose a place underneath a red maple tree next to the pond and let himself sit comfortably and cross-legged onto the grass. A perfect place for meditation, huh? At least a lot more efficient than the dark of the caves.  
The guards kept their distance, hidden somewhere in the green, but Genma knew they were still there. So he let the sun warm his face, closed his eyes and meditated, too.

No one interrupted them and Genma practically could feel his strength and peace of mind returning.

Eventually, the sounds of the waterfall changed and the tokubetsu knew Red had ended his meditation.

He waited, knowing that his prey would come to him. Yet he had to mute a rising nervousness that almost could be confused for... fear. Playing with the fire. No wrong move allowed.

Footsteps could be heard, the rustling of clothes. Someone had brought a fresh towel before leaving again over a stone path.

Maybe the blond shinobi _did_ press his eyes close a little too tightly - to be honest, he didn’t want his sunbath to end. The professional in him immediately directed this feeling into a slight pout that he knew other’s would mistake as subconscious and maybe even cute - with pinpoint accuracy to crack his enemy’s walls a little further.

A drop of water landed on the tip of his nose and with displayed reluctance he opened one, and only one, eye.  
Red stood directly in front of him, blocking the sunlight, hair still dripping we, and Genma had a nice memory of a conversation between Gai and Ebisu about the effects of a coldwater-meditation to the ‚virile member‘, as Ebisu had phrased it. 

Entertaining. No action for the big bad Oyabun this time, huh?

A sudden burst of red chakra and a warm wind dried the body of the mafia boss within seconds, sending more drops of water to Genma’s face - this time their temperature was pleasantly warm.

Genma’s heart started to beat faster, and he gritted his teeth. His mind wasn’t fast enough, so his trained instincts took over. He opened his mouth slowly and let the tip of his tongue lick one of the droplets away. 

Then he changed his position into a kneeling one and bowed respectfully like every underling greeted the man.

A hand on his ear was a silent prompt to look up again. And for a moment, their position reminded Genma of the way he had kneeled in front of the much stronger Kakashi all these months ago in the jounin’s bathroom after a bad mission. Back then, the copy-nin could have killed him for every hasty movement, back then, Genma had almost blown the man then and there. That time, he had survived and it had been the beginning of something new. 

The seduction expert knew exactly what was about to happen now even if the tall and powerful man facing him had proven to be a man of few words.

The tall man’s dark eyes burned down on him, filled with a faint red glow, and Genma stared back, heart hammering in his chest. When Red let his fingers glide down Genma’s cheek in unsuspected tenderness, the blond shuddered and his eyes almost flickered close. But he knew better than to let the man out of his sight.

There weren’t any words necessary, he understood the other’s deep desire for power. Genma expertly opened the expensive belt, gripped the seam of the other’s pants and shoved them down just enough. His hands were warm and only a little bit sweaty when he closed his fingers around the member and stroked it a few times, bringing it to full length, before slowly, very slowly, licking along the underside of the shaft, eyes searching and capticating for his prey's.

Due to the windjutsu, Red’s body felt hot and nothing was left of the cold water from before. The skin of his muscular thighs was firm, warm and exciting. The dark eyes bore into his, a big hand resting on Genma’s hair as a constant reminder. So he _had_ heard of the special jounin's happiness to bite! Filled with a little too much pride, Genma focused on the task at ...hands with new determination, let his tongue dance skillfully over the soft head, licked, sucked and let his other hand firmly stroke the hard flesh. Small twitches in the leg muscles indicated the other man was already close and barely able to hold himself back. He hummed in appreciation, relaxed his throat as much as possible and went in for the kill. The deepthroating proofed to be the most efficient, his faightful muscles allowing him to keep going without his jaw tiring too fast. Maybe just a little teeth for revenge?

His effort was rewarded with warm fluid flooding the back of his throat. He swallowed everything as fast as possible before releasing the rapidly softening cock with a wet plop. Silently waiting he remained in his kneeling position and let the Oyabun play with his hair for a while longer.

It was for show. To show the other he understood their difference in power and their desires was propably one of the cruelest acts for any seduction expert. But with a man like Red the tokubetsu jounin had little qualms.

The hand petting his face was proof enough his skills hadn’t failed him yet again. Genma made sure to let strength and fire burn in his own eyes when he opened them again and saw the other man shudder. He had been right. The man desired a feisty and passionate lover.

As if in trance the callused fingers continued to wander over his face until Genma suddenly snapped the pinky and softly bit, not letting it go.

Startled, Red stepped back, chest heaving and a nice faint glow on the cheeks.

Genma smiled darkly, finger still between his teeth, stopping the retreat and the man shuddered again along a slight widening of his eyes.

Red growled, arousal clear in his eyes.

For a moment the tokubetsu jounin was almost sure he would decide to go for another round, jump him even, but of course the annoying old book maker had to suddenly plop out from where ever his hellhole had been, hastened a small stone path along and returned to his boss’s side. And worse: he was constantly babbling about appointments and ‚finally dismissing the man kneeling over there because of more pressing matters like leading the Yamaguji-Group‘.

Genma inwardly showed him the middle finger for effectively destroying his chance. The moment was over, the spell broken. 

And somehow he knew, that had been his only chance. 

There wouldn’t be another. He had lowered his guard towards Genma. Now, the other was now warned.

Ever a man of few words the Oyabun growled in response and tugged his cock back inside his pants - to which the whimsical book maker politely averted his eyes. If that didn’t shock him he must have spent a lot of time around the mafia boss. And the way Red let him talk to him showed he was a well trusted advisor. „May I politely remind of this one’s purpose, sir?“

„Not necessary.“

One look was enough to make Genma’s guards reappear on his sides, kneeling, heads down.

„Show him the grave. He earned that knowledge. Then bring him back to the catacombs.“

„Hai, Oyabun-Sama!“

The book maker routinely returned to his duties and reported the appointments for the next hours.

Genma and his guards waited for them till they were out of sight. Then they rose from their positions almost simultaneously.

When Genma attempted to go to the waterfall, his guards immediately drew their weapons.

„Gentleman. It has been nice but I could really use some clean water to wash my mouth, if you can follow.“

Dorei made a disgusted noise. „Go.“

Afterwards they took him out of the garden to a remote part of the mountain fortress. With every step he took Genma’s exertion became stronger.

Through a small wooden door they exited the huge property and reached a small rock spur. Again, only a low stone wall secured its edges from hundreds of meters of nothingness. On its end an accumulation of two stones waited. The grave.

The wind was strong and made the red paper windmill turn briskly in the morning sun.

It was another peaceful place.

Hesitantly, Genma approached it.

_She’d always loved red paper wind wheels..._

Suddenly his legs gave way and wordlessly he kneeled in front of it, his powerless hands resting on his lap.

Engraved in perfect elegant handwriting, slightly worn out by wind and weather but nonetheless readable, next to a beautiful pearl and a leave, stood the name _Shiranui, Mei_.

Numbly, without taking notice of the guards behind his back or his own trembling hands, Genma remained sitting where he was-in front of the place his lost mother was buried.

She had died here.

Here of all places.

In the Land of Bears.

Far from home and family.

Mei was dead. She had been for years now.

And yes, he and his sister would also end one day here on this rock spur in the boondocks and its south wind if he couldn’t escape.

The choker around his throat suddenly felt too tight to breathe, and he had to force himself not to move and therefore give his guards a reason to bring him back too fast. This was his moment now. _Their_ moment.

The Konoha shinobi sat there in motionless silence, inwardly fighting one of the hardest fights of his life, as a dark powerful fire of hatred threatened to consume him completely.

~*~*~

When they brought him to the chair that day, he overloaded two minerals albeit the chakra seals. Two of his guards died in that explosion, three were badly injured. The room was destroyed and the chair with it. 

They gruffly dragged him back to his cell and gave him another beating, but Genma wasn’t able to feel anything. Everything was dulled and blurry. The loss of his mother and the ensuing hatred had mingled in a lunatic fire together with the feeling of the black mineral they called Sōsu. He hadn’t even registered what he had done. There had been this sudden picture in his mind, and he had simply followed that idea and the destructive power had easily consumed everything in a fire, even himself, though differently.

No one had treated his wounds before he was sent into the arena that evening. Beaten black and blue he had stumbled onto the red sands, receiving acid-tongued comments that didn’t reach his mind.

He didn’t notice when they left him there in the middle alone. He didn’t look up when his opponent, one of the scrawny kids from his cave, appeared with crazy eyes and started running towards him with a beautiful white dagger.

He didn’t even notice, when said dagger was driven deep into his stomach.

Genma kissed the dust like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

The explosion of pain in his torso made him finally look up. The boy approached him, panting, carefully, ready to strike again. And he did.

The knife pierced his skin, nicking his kidney.

He could have fought back.

But he couldn’t kill... _another_ child.

He screamed in pain and tumbled on his back. Tears unconsciously ran down his face, overwhelmed by the dark fire the Sōsu and the grave had evoked.

Some spectators jumped from their seats and angrily waved with their tickets.

The pain was blinding, the overflowing numbness becoming stronger and stronger, but for a moment he wondered if the child before him still had a mom.

The kid’s pupils were blown wide... _Drugged..._

Tired, Genma closed his eyes and the blackness was there immediately - calling him and hot like tar.

He was able to do a lot of things without batting an eye. But... Not today. Especially if his opponent was... another... child...

He couldn’t take that now.

Not anymore.

Not now.

The tar, the Sōsu... It was too much.

He could almost hear the knife cutting the air, aiming directly for his throat-cutting through the smiling faces of Raidou and Kakashi, and he still couldn't bring himself to move out of the way.

The puppet seal on his shoulder flared suddenly and everything went black.

~*~

When he came back to, he was standing in the middle of a ghostly silent arena. Something wet and sticky was dripping from his hands.

Even without opening his eyes he already knew what had happened. Through his lashes he could adumbrate the useless and now dirty white knife and the... human ..._remains_... of the ...body.

He vomited forcefully. His retching sounds were the only noises at this place.

But little by little more voices could be heard... A man, shouting something to a passed out wife, ... Someone who asked for a strong drink, ... whispered words of horror... What had he _DONE!_

His choker flared hotly and Red’s voice was in his ear as if the man was standing directly behind him. „Your purpose is solely to do what benefits the Yamaguji!“

His neck muscles hurt when he looked up to see the tall man sitting on his throne. Red held his hand in a sign in front of his mouth, using a jutsu to talk to him directly without anyone else able to hear.

So _that_ was the puppet jutsu Kurenai had been terrified of? _That?!_

Genma took a step back, teeth gritted, hands sweaty. Never in his life had he been used like _that_.

Never before had he faced someone as overpowering and cruel. Never before someone had used this amount of control over mind and body.

And it frightened him more than anything else in the world. To be forced to give up complete control of his body... with all its capabilities...

Genma Shiranui, tokubetsu jounin, elite bodyguard, assassin and war veteran was, frozen in fear.

His breath became erratic.

Like a caged animal...

No one had the right to! Overly clear he could hear the noisy wealthy, the angry poor, the greedy and the disgusting... with their jewels, exotic food and drinks, the ...beautiful prostitutes among them, making eyes at them...

...and he saw the necklace, _felt_ the necklace... the one with the black mineral emblazoned on a massive décolleté...

Not with him!

In a heartbeat he was in the air, above the railing and snatched the necklace. 

Immediately the mineral blazed in bright orange and greedy eyes drank in the emitting warmth... hands reached out for him...

With a wild and angry scream of pure rage Genma jumped into a direct attack. When he was only seconds away, he let a concentrated beam of orange energy burst through the air, knowing well that it would burn the Oyabun to ashes like it had done with Gyobue.

Now or never, bastard!

The people around Red fled as if in slow-motion, whereas the Oyabun calmly awaited his attack.

Genma used all the power the mineral could give, almost making it explode in his hand. The light became so intense even Genma had to close his eyes.

The force of the impact send a shock wave through the stadium and hundreds of people around them plummeted to the ground.

In complete shock, Genma opened his hazelnut eyes.

A hand on his wrist had stopped his attacked and now held him high enough that his feed dangled above the ground.

It was Red.

Red had stopped his attack.

Red had stopped the Sōsu!

How?!

“You’re not the only one who is capable to control the Sōsu, Shiranui! Our talents are almost equal!”

He stared at his enemy incredulously and screamed in frustration. „Then why do you even need my family?!“

„You are cheap.“

„FUCK YOU!“, Genma yelled.

The Oyabun shook his head slowly. „No need. That’s what I’ve got _you_ for.“ He let go of the tokubetsu and the young shinobi slumped down. Immediately he tried another attack, but the mafia boss held up one finger and the seal immobilized Genma. „You and your clan will always kneel before my family. _That_ is your place. _That_ is your purpose!“

Genma screamed out his blazing anger, somehow managing to activate the Sōsu in his left hand albeit the binding of the puppet jutsu, eyes starting to glow. 

Red made a quick handseal and everything turned black again.

~*~*

He startled awake and immediately sat up. First he thought to be alone in the dark room. But then a somehow incredible appeasing figure stepped to his bed side and, in a familiar way, let a warm hand rest on the ANBU-tattoo of his right arm.

He couldn’t help himself. He smiled in pure and utter relieve.

Her sudden hug was tight, but he didn't mind, for his wounds had already been treated, and the gesture moved something inside him he had missed for some time now. „I’m so sorry. I’ve been searching for you for so long, Genma.“

He slung his arms around her and deepened the hug, almost crushing her.

„I’m getting you out of here, Genma.“

„…Kōmyō-…Sensei…“

~*~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Waah, that was dark. Gomen. It just happened. The cage I build for Genma in this fiction is just too effective... hahhhh. When I planned it, it didn't seem so dark, but to actually write that... Well. Sensei is there now.


	21. Chapter 20

„I’m sorry it took me so long to find you. There were rumors. About you. Mostly from Hinode. Yesterday I was finally able to sneak into the arena, just in time to see you attack Red with the Sōsu, which was impressive by the way. I’m sorry, I should have found you earlier.“

„…I don’t remember... using the Sōsu... against Red... Actually... I don’t remember anything...yesterday... only... a garden...”

She pressed her cheek against his soft hair. “Don’t worry. Here. Drink that. It’ll help clear your head. We’ll certainly need it.”

He froze.

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes.” Without hesitation.

“Good. Then let’s get out of here.”

“There is a… redheaded shinobi, Ashita, always watching me. You are in danger.”

“We both are. The redhead wasn’t there, only Dorei was guarding your room, but don’t worry about him, he will sleep for a while. I was able to socialize among the Yamaguji-group and gather a lot of information. He will not be a threat. Still, we have to go, I'm sure they soon will be on my track. Yesterday, they found the biggest Sōsu-mineral of all time in the mine - I used that moment to sabotage the extraction and let the mine  
collapse. It is closed now. So no more new Sōsu for a while.”

„You always had a weakness for static.“

“Definitely. But I couldn’t stop them from retrieving that big stone-thing. Now everyone is a little more attentive to not repeat any mistakes.”

She opened his choker with a special key and let it drop carelessly. Genma rose an eyebrow in admiration. “Still not attentive enough, as it seems.“ 

The kunoichi smiled darkly. „I used smelling salts on you, they will expect you to be out of it for some more hours, that gives us a little more time. Let’s go.“

„Yes.“

*~*~

Kōmyō -Sensei lead the way. Corridors, windows, battlements. She knew a lot about this place and no doubt had several escape routes in her head. This place wasn’t only guarded like a fortress, it actually was one. And an incredibly big one, too.

For Genma, with his ability to use his chakra again, it was easy to fall back into shinobi mode and follow his sensei.

They hid from patrols and guests that strolled here and there. Together they put corridors and walls behind them, but to do it without being seen actually took them hours. There couldn’t be much time left until Genma’s absence was noticed.

It was already dawn when they climbed a defense wall to see the last plain before the outer wall of the fortress. A lot of space to hinder possible intruders or, as in this case, to show off the biggest shimmering black mineral of Sōsu ever found. It was simply too big to bring it into the fortress in one piece. So they kept it there.

But the most alarming thing about it was that it wasn’t guarded. At least not visibly. No one was in sight. On the other hand: everyone who dared to touch this uncharged Sōsu would be sucked of their chakra immediately and die.

They crouched behind a small tree and Genma shortly contemplated to overload the big thing. It could destroy half of the fortress, maybe even more and therefore put an end to everything here.

„Where is my sister?“, Genma whispered.

„Yorokobi. Yamaguji-Estate. She’s fine at the moment. I spoke to her.“

Genma nodded grimly. His sensei was the best at infiltrating. She always joked she was one of the slowest in that field of work, but Genma knew she was also the most thorough.  
And really bad-ass. He wouldn't admit it to her, but he was deeply moved that she had risked her life for him. She even had accomplished everything he couldn't.

“No cover until we reach the outer wall. Best moment for an ambush.”

“I agree,” she hissed back. 

With a growing sense of uneasiness they sneaked upon the open field - about 30 meters left... Everything stayed silent... Tension rose with every fast step. No one stopped them until suddenly a rushing shadow alerted them to something flying through the air.

The ground shook underneath Red’s heavy boots when he landed directly before the outer wall.

The attack came immediately. Orange chakra shot directly at the kunoichi. Like in slow motion Genma wanted to jerk her out of the way, fully aware that the Sōsu couldn’t harm him but also, that he wouldn’t fast enough.

But, surprisingly, the kunoichi wiped the beam with an orange gleaming hand away. Undamaged, she stepped into a pose ready for battle, her expensive kimono undermining her grace, a fan expanded in one of her hands, the steel pins of it gleaming in the early morning sun, and an expensive golden ring with an orange glowing mineral on her other hand.

Genma’s eyes went wide in surprise. „Sensei...“ She was in possession of Sōsu herself. And she had used it.

She didn’t answer but Genma could see how the use of the strange chakra had thrilled her. „I always liked you, Gen-kun.“ Her undercover work had pushed her to take this step. For him. From him. Because of him.

Red pulled a mineral big as a fist out of his pouch and pointed it at the kunoichi. „The mentor, I take it. Congratulations, you did an extraordinary job.“ These words told Genma, the two had already met. The Oyabun cracked his vertebrae and as if that was the signal, more and more guards joined his sides. About twenty. Some of them were equipped with Sōsu. Ashita appeared at the Oyabun’s right, ready to strike, pose similar to Kōmyō's.

The jounin kunoichi tried to shove Genma behind her, but he simply ducked underneath her arm and stepped at her side. „We are outnumbered. Kōmyō-Sensei, please leave this place immediately and gain as much distance as possible.“

Her eyes flickered to the black mineral behind them. She stared at her pupil, clearly unhappy with his decision. And to be honest, as a tokubetsu he wasn’t exactly in a position to order her around. But she’d always been fast in calculating chances. „Take care-!“

The combined attack was executed by several guards at the same time. Orange light flooded the air like a burning tidal wave of pure chakra to bury the two shinobi underneath it and burn the kunoichi to ashes in a heartbeat. 

More shadows appeared directly in front of them and several protective barriers with dog faces on it rose from the earth and blocked the jutsus as well as several weapons. A silver shock of hair, a scarred face and a pug...

Genma’s jaw hit the ground. „W-…“

Kakashi stepped behind him, right hand glowing in a jutsu. „Yo, Genma-San, Kōmyō –San. Allow me to use an emergency jutsu-Tsunade-Sama let me copy a seal to contain the puppet seal temporarily.“ 

Genma nodded, totally perplex. „Are you... real?“

Raidou looked back to him over his shoulder. „Hey, Genma. Good to see you.” Then he retrieved a senbon from his pocket and flipped it to his friend.

With years of practice Genma didn’t even have to look at it. He snatched it out of the air and put it between his teeth with a happy sigh. He and Raidou: best friends forever.

More guards stormed the area and surrounded them at the same time a seal appeared underneath Genma's feet. And within seconds he could feel a burning sensation when Kakashi made the seal rush up, over his body and to his shoulder to encircle the puppet seal.

Afterwards, when Kakashi shortly let his hand drop onto Genma’s ANBU-tattoo and his visible eye curled into a happy and much too sexy smile, Genma swore he instantly fell in love. _Awesome!_

All of a sudden the protective barriers were destroyed by orange chakra that threatened to scorch the copy nin on the spot.

Raidou was already whirling through the air, sending out fire jutsus in every direction. Kōmyō parried as good as possible every Sōsu-reinforced attack, offhandedly disarming a swordfighter with her fan before incapacitating him with a lightening fast kick into the throat, and Kakashi seemed to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

A wind jutsu suddenly cut several guards in their backs, an earth jutsu let the ground rip apart and swallowed up more enemies.

Three ANBUs, reinforcements, had joined the fight. A smooth wink to Genma from the masked big one in the middle, and they let themselves drop from the outer wall and into battle.

The tokubetsu smiled while getting ready to fight himself, the arena matches had left him in full training, and he was more than willing to finally kick some Yamaguji-ass.

Whirling among the enemies he was able to instantly sneak two kunais from two different hip pouches and immediately took them to use by warding off a salve of shuriken aimed at his legs.

A kusari-gama hissed through the air, but because of his ANBU-training with Anko he, again, was able to detect it through its sound characteristics. He jumped, both legs kicking two enemy heads at the same time with a split, curled through the air and let the kusari-gama hit an enemy underneath his back. He immediately used the momentum to kick another’s face with both feet. When he landed, he used a konoha-whirlwind technique to down several guards at once. Oh how much fun was _that?_

The puppet jutsu started burning, testing Kakashi’s seal, but it lasted and Genma was in high spirits.

His searching eyes took in the chaos of the battlefield to finally land on the wielder of his puppet jutsu. Oyabun hadn’t moved from his place. After destroying Kakashi’s earth shields he had apparently decided to let his underlings do the work for him.

The battle was fierce and chaotic. The perfect advantage for a shinobi.

The Tokujou hurried to step aside when Kakashi threw a shinobi over his shoulder to sweep several ninjas behind Genma from their feet. Caught by the adrenaline and euphoria of the battle, he couldn't stop himself but blow a kiss at the copy-nin. Too fast to be seen normally, but the jounin giggled excitedly.

Suddenly a chain winded itself around Genma’s neck, and he was hurled down by a shadow. Ashita slid to a halt and buried a kunai into one of the ANBU’s sides, who had tried to sneak up on the redhead. Kakashi appeared behind the man and before Ashita shoved a second kunai into his chest, the silver haired shinobi had managed to pin an explosion tag onto Ashita’s back. Kakashi puffed away in an explosion of dust, a shadow clone, and the ANBU was able to use the moment of distraction to grab the redhead’s arm, cut Ashita's chain connected to Genma's neck with a sharp and chakra enforced ninjato, before hurling the redhead away from Genma. The tag exploded somewhere, but the Tokujou couldn’t see in the chaos, if Ashita was able to get rid of it in time.

In the next moment Genma was hit directly on his shoulder by an orange chakra beam. The force of the impact send him flying several meters backwards. He tumbled to the ground and lost sight of his comrades in the chaos.

When he tried to get up, a second beam hit him, this time with even more force, and he could feel some of his ribs cracking. 

_Red…_ Dazed he laid there for a few seconds, trying to catch his breath. Enough time for Dorei to sneak up to him and ram his spear into his thigh. 

Screaming, Genma’s hands grabbed the weapon but a third beam of chakra hit him and teared out the spear as well as it burned Dorei’s hands to the bones. With a screech the young man threw himself to the ground and tried to extinguish the flames before they could devour the rest of his body. 

So Red didn’t care if one of his own people got absorbed in his attacks.

Genma rolled onto his side and tried to rise. Again there was the orange light, but this time Kōmyō-Sensei jumped in front of him and stood up to the continuous fire, the glow of her Sōsu-ring rapidly getting weaker. 

The tokubetsu struggled to get up on his knees, used his sensei’s kimono to stand up and laid a hand over hers. When he touched the mineral it immediately glowed again and effectively reflected Red’s beam.

But the Oyabun was using a bigger mineral. And apparently, in this case bigger really meant better.

Genma had to demand more and more power out of Kōmyō’s exemplar and it started to crack.

Just in time he wrested the ring from her fingers and shoved her away before it exploded in the air. Genma shielded her from the impact as good as possible but the beautiful kimono was singed at the edges.

Red’s hands blurred into fast hand seals. Then he took a step forward and several clods of earth arose. The man slapped his hands together first before pointing into their direction, and sharp stones immediately flew to Genma and Kōmyō.

Two of them were kicked down by Raidou, eight more were thrown out of their path by Kakashi’s dragon like wind jutsu.

None reached their targets.

The remaining guards concentrated at Red’s side, reinforcements appeared and brought with them fresh Sōsu. There were seamingly hundreds of them now. 

The Oyabun’s face was twisted into an angry grimace and the ground beneath his feet split when he slowly approached the Konoha-shinobi.

One of the ANBU send a kunai with an explosion tag at him, but the Oyabun wiped it away like a fly.

Kakashi was forced to erect several protective barriers, but the Sōsu let one after the other melt like mere cheese. The copy nin was breathing heavily now.

Raidou and Kōmyō were the same. Genma didn’t need to look at the ANBU to know about their condition. They couldn’t go on like this forever. They would simply wear them down by sheer number. There were about two hundred of them now, and still counting. In addition, their enemies were fighting, well, on drugs.

The three ANBU flickered to their side to cover their backs. A circle of Konoha shinobi surrounded by hundreds of guards.

„Anyone has a plan?“, Raidou asked. „A good one would be nice.“

Something in the air suddenly changed, just like before a thunder. Genma looked up to see Red holding up his Sōsu in a strange way, as if seeking contact with... 

The big black mineral! There! A small, barely noticeable glow in its black center. It slowly flickered alive.

Genma now knew that Red was not only able to use the Sōsu like him but also charge it, too. The man was able to keep going on like him, maybe endlessly. When the mafia boss got control over the big mineral, only he and Genma would survive that. He’d have to stop him somehow! But how?!

The clock was ticking!

Genma took a deep breath and started to hobble into the direction of the mineral. It was about forty meters away. 

„Genma, no!“, Raidou called out. „You don’t know if you can survive using _that_ monster!“

A number of orange bomb like attacks transformed the area into a moonscape. Kakashi was barely in time to wipe Raidou from his feet so one of the attacks brushed past them.

The konoha shinobi not only were forced onto the defensive, they were the hunted. Genma needed to do something. If he was able to use the mineral against Red he could turn the tides into their favour again. It was the only way. But no one ever had used a Sōsu as big as that monstrosity over there...

The air was filled with orange lightning and jutsus of the shinobi still battling each other. The chaos and noises where insanity! He concentrated all of his sensor abilities, searched with his own chakra... and got an answer. Of every mineral in the area. It felt like leaving his body and seeing everything from above. But one source of power magnetically drew him closer and closer... The black Sōsu.

Like that night all those years ago in the Shiranui-estate, when his sister first showed him the mineral, his hair started to glow and his eye color changed to a golden orange. Step by step he stumbled forward. A strong wind came up in spirals and lightening was emitted from the rapidly glowing mineral that made it near impossible to come near it - and it even was just awakening.

Genma could feel Red’s strong mental hold onto it - slow but incredible strong. And the Tokujou fought against it from the distance with everything he had. A blinding headache was almost too much for him to bare, but his will to fight for the lives of his friends was stronger. His will of fire! „You wanted to make me weak!“, he shouted. „You wanted to subdue me with a whole bunch of safety measures. First I thought it was ridiculous, but now I know it was“ - another step forward into the storm- „because of my blood-limit! You, the great Oyabun, are afraid of me. You were afraid of my mother, you were afraid of my sister, and you certainly shit your pants in fear of me! Because _my_ talent with the Sōsu is _limitless!_“ Another step forward. „The only thing you managed to accomplish with all your fail safes, every match you let me fight, every jutsu you put upon me, even the puppet jutsu, you only accomplished _one_ thing: to make me ANGRIER!“ His face was filled with rage, and he balled his hands to fists, putting everything into the battle for control with Red, fighting against the storm as well as the head of the Yamaguji.

If meditation had done one thing to him, it was concentrating emotions to channel them into manageable paths. So he redirected all of them, all of his strongest emotions, used everything Raidou had taught him, and directed them into one big stream that threatened to pull him along. The answer of the Sōsu was dark and strong and hot, and he was drowning! Red’s grasp onto it was identically! -it would tear him apart!

But his Shiranui-heritage was stronger!

The earth cracked open in every direction of the mineral and a sudden pressure in the air forced most fighters onto their knees, even Red. Every step Genma took let the mineral awake farther, but also increased the pain in his head, that now radiating to every fiber within his body. If that was how burning from the insides out felt, it was... terrifying. He was almost there... the heat was getting intense and the wind cut his cheeks and ruffled his hair. Ten steps. He _must_ be able to control that monster stone! Nine. Why was it so hard? Eight. The minerals before had been big like coins,... this monster was like... two meters high and broad... Seven. His vision started to blur. If anyone could do it, it was him! He could do it! He could do it! He could do-

Arms wrapped around his torso and stopped him, exactly like back then in Kinata... But this time it was Kakashi stopping him, not the other way around. And the Tokujou nearly fell. „Stop, Genma. Don’t go on like that!“

And Genma did hesitate. The copy nin thought he couldn’t do it? „Kakashi...“ For a moment he closed his eyes and put a hand over his. „I... If you were serious about anything the past months... if you still see me as a friend, you’ll have to let me try to end this hellhole...“

Kakashi tensed. „Your nose is bleeding, you are trembling. What if it kills you?“

„I have to destroy every little bit of Sōsu… Let me kick this fucker’s ass! There is no other way! Bring the other’s to safety. Fast. _Now._ And then find Michirou.“ He shook off the others hands and the mineral started to glow with blinding intensity.

Kakashi was forced to retreat if he didn’t want to be killed. „Just... be careful, Genma,“ he said. „Your sister is not here to help you, you are on your own with this. _I_ cannot help you.“

„Go!“

Gritting his teeth, Genma slowly continued his way and on the other side of the mineral Red did the same. 

Little by little the guards started to understand what was going to happen. Someone shouted - so _that_ was Ashita’s voice - and the guards started to flee. Almost everyone tried to flee, Genma could sense it all, could already feel the enhancing powers of the mineral.

He could also feel his friend’s hesitation to leave him, but this wasn’t a place for shinobi without the Shiranui-bloodline anymore. And apparently, whatever his real name was, Red was some kind of distant relative. He was a Shiranui, too, who at some point had taken over the name of the Yamaguji. A damn _Shiranui_!

„Motherfucker!", he yelled roughly. "This is for my sister!“ Every single stone of Sōsu the guards had with them exploded, wherever they'd been running to.

„And this is for my mom, you bastard!“ Next, one of the mountains behind them exploded in an explosion that was so loud and so intense it shook the whole earth. The closed Sōsu mine. Now it was closed forever.

The Oyabun was blinded by the light and had to crouch down. He roared in anger and in clear shock at the show of destructive force, though Genma couldn’t understand even one word. Not that he cared.

With a desperate jump the man lunged at the mineral and put both greedy hands on it with a triumphant outcry. His arms turned orange like his hair and horns grew out of his temples to wind along the sides of his head. The direct contact with that much of pure black Sōsu corrupted the man’s DNA like a demonic cancer.

A massive beam of orange chakra broke loose with the intention to push the Shiranui back, but by now Genma had learned a lot about the black Sōsu and how it worked. That's why he led the mineral to believe he too was Sōsu and the beam went through him like a ghost.

Red gasped in shock and tried again while ignoring or not caring about how the Sōsu continued to deform his body. With the same result.

Genma now was only one step away. But it was enough.

He put on a smile, incredible tired but with fervent determination. His insides hurt as if they were inflamed themselves, and maybe they were, and he knew for sure, that this was it. „And this, asshole... this is for _me_!“

He touched the mineral, and the biggest Sōsu ever found, exploded in a mushroom shaped explosion of orange fire and black dust, hundreds of meters high, every cloud on the morning sky was driven away or simply evaporated, and an ash cloud wavelike buried land and mountains underneath it until nothing was left.

~*~*

When Raidou startled awake, he couldn’t see anything at first and there was a constant ringing in his ears, muting all sound. Something slimy was sitting on his neck and... it _moved!_

Horrified he sat up and touched it. A body, at the same time firm and soft and absolutely slimy and... Blinking, he finally understood and used his senses. There was a lot of chakra surrounding them, shielding them.

His hands touched the ground and searched until he could feel something that probably was a leg.

Someone put on a light and Raidou was able to recognize the familiar face of Tenzou. The three ANBU were there, too, but he still wasn’t able to hear anything. Propably two perforated eardrums.

In the dim light he was able to see the unconscious form of a kunoichi: Kōmyō, and also... Kakashi and Tsunade-Sama. Everyone had one of Tsunade-Samas ninken sitting on their shoulders. The slugs provided them with new chakra. The ANBU talked to Raidou noticing his state and used ANBU signs to tell him to calm down. Still, Raidou had backed off a little when he could see the big slugs clearly, until his back bumped against their protective barrier.

He used his chakra senses and was able to notice Tenzou’s wooden barrier was only one of three. It was engulfed by Kakashi’s earth barrier which was coated with another stone barrier - probably one of Tsunade-Sama’s. Kakashi and Tsunade constantly reinforced their barriers till, after some minutes, they nodded simultaneously.

It was over. They had survived.

One after another the jutsus were dissolved and Raidou didn’t waste any time to immediately get onto his feet. He knew the other’s shouted after him, but he used all the speed he could manage to get back.

The world was... maimed.

Where there had been forests and mountains, only one huge plain was left. Half of the ground was gone.

A few smoking black ruins that might have been trees once stood out like black bones, burned into coal. The sight saddened Raidou’s heart. 

Even though he wouldn’t be able to hear the answer he called out for his friend.

Searching.

Begging.

Angry.

Demanding.

Apologizing.

But never accepting.

He didn’t want Genma to be dead. He stumbled forward to where he thought the epicenter of the explosion was. The smell of ozone and fire was thick in the air.

Raindrops started to fall onto the ground of ash and somewhere came a roll of thunder. It stopped as soon as it began.

He staggered on and on. It had taken them more than three weeks to find Genma. It wouldn’t be fair if they had lost him that fast again.

The epicenter.

He could see it.

There the earth was melted into something like black glass.

Nothing was left of the big Sōsu-mineral except the dusty wind and an underground like a frozen black lake.

A lone body lay there on an otherwise empty field. The clothes were burned, the skin black with ash but otherwise unscathed. And Raidou sensed nothing.

He almost lost his grip on reality.

Genma. His ‚twin‘, his brother, his best friend. They grew up together, they had trained together for hours and hours, passed their chuunin-exam together even though in different teams. They had joined ANBU together. Together they had learned how to meditate properly and enjoy tea, protected their Hokage, learned the Hiraishin-technique and had survived a lot of dangerous missions, and... and....

Genma didn’t move. Unconscious. Certainly.

The wind played with his fine hair. It was crusted in ash and looked black. No more orange. No more blond.

Raidou kneeled down next to him and stared at his friend’s calm and blackened face. He didn’t dare to move. And for the first time in his life he didn’t dare check for a pulse.

Trembling fists pressed into his thighs. He didn’t show any physical reaction when Tenzou put a soothing but strong hand onto his shoulder.

Tsunade rushed to his side, hands glowing green, accessing the damage in precise but fast movements. Kakashi stood behind them, face unreadable, emotions hidden behind the mask. Only his hanging shoulders betrayed his sorrow. The faithful Pakkun trotted to his side and let himself slump down in a whirl of dust, uncertain eyes switching from his friend and master to their fellow companions on the ground.

In regardful distance the three ANBU guarded their backs from any potential threat the dead landscape could produce. One of them, ANBU-instructor Daisiki, pulled off his mask and ran a hand through his short hair with a sigh.

Everyone was waiting.

The only sounds where Raidou’s silent sobs that the wind carried through the dead landscape and away.


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The early morning sun was already strong and burning mercilessly onto his bare back, but Kakashi ignored the heat. Instead, he was deeply concentrating on his push-ups on two fingers while balancing on three short wooden pillars. The bandage on his left upper arm itched a little - he would have to change it soon. There wasn’t much more annoying to his sensitive nose than the nasty stench of old antiseptics soaking through a bandage. 

His team’s last mission, with Tenzou and Yuugao, had been intense, but they had made it back relatively in one piece. Another success. Another Konoha-Nukenin down. However, when the Sandaime some days ago had asked him to take one of this year’s Genin-teams, it had been a little of a shock. When he’d asked for more time to think it over, he was surprised to be granted that wish. Was the old man getting soft on him? He wasn’t entirely sure if the time was right, if _he_ was ready for that. Besides, he’d taken a look at these years academy-students and ...wasn’t impressed. Not really jounin-potential at the moment, except for the team Gai took under his wing.

He glanced at the man that was with him at this early hour and was rewarded with a shiny toothpaste-grin.

Said jounin was standing only a few feet away, practicing the high art of horse stance. Several small cups of water were balancing on his thighs and shoulders, heavy weights were clasped around his wrists. The jounin hadn’t moved for the last twenty minutes now and spilled almost no water at all... Frightening Hokage-potential, if it only wasn’t for the ever optimistic freak-factor...

He sighed. They were currently on a relatively unknown place in the forest not too far from the four Hokage heads. Overgrown with climbing plants the small paved platform had the charming air of a peaceful clearing, surrounded by high grown Hashirama-trees, an almond tree in the middle providing shade the self-chastisement Gai called training. His crazy friend had named the place Training Ground Number 32 and had woken him today before sunrise to drag him out into this solitary for training.

Kakashi hadn’t complained. Not even a little. It was a peaceful place and training together without talking was something that he really appreciated in the other - as seldom as that happened. But at this clearing it was a given. In addition, he was able to calm his own mind to a point he almost stopped thinking about what had happened two months ago ... And he wondered how Raidou was doing. It hurt to think about it, the hauntingly wet sounds of the CPR and... But with his best friend at his side, everything seemed... more bearable.

Following a sudden feeling he looked up to stare directly at the half hidden figure of Tenzou, who had just appeared underneath one of the Hashirama-trees to their left. The man made a few hand signs, signalling him a message word for word, clearer than spoken words could have, and Gai gave a sudden shout, barely managing to catch every bowl of water and grinned at Kakashi. „Let us go, my eternal rival! Let‘s race to our wonderful destination!“

Yes, everything was more bearable with someone like Gai.

*~*~*

Low whispers, a steady beep...

He struggled to open his eyes, and this time the sun had already risen and blinded him. A soft groan escaped his lips and the voices stopped.

There was someone right next to him, _sitting_ right next to him, triggering every alarm bell in his head. Blindly his hands frantically searched for something - a weapon, but found wrinkled bedsheets instead. The person at his side reacted immediately and pressed a hand onto his upper arm. Pleasant warmth spread from that spot and for an unknown reason that gesture was incredible calming. Soothing.

„It’s okay. No danger.“ The voice of a woman. But she was standing too far away for him to see her clearly.

„Where...?“ Was that scratchy voice really his own? But when the man sitting on his bed heard it, he flinched. That made him look more closely at the person. Tired. And also... looking as if he was truly struggling for his composure... as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t. 

Again it was the women that answered, tone gentle: „You are in Konoha. In safety.“

The soft mattress was trembling slightly and made him turn his attention back to study the man. Brown hair, eye color somewhere between brown and amber and a big but old scar across his face, age around thirty. The rolled up sleeves revealed strong muscles and several faded battle scars, the thin scar on his left thumb spoke of practicing the art of the sword. Someone who was clearly used to fight for his survival. But his body language was anything but threatening - far from it! Completely unguarded. He looked more of a nervous... _teddy bear_. And... were those tears in his eyes?

It was straining to talk, like wading through morass, but he tried his scratchy voice nonetheless: „Who... are you?“

Brown eyes widened. The thin lips trembled now, albeit very shortly, then the man composed himself once more and smiled. And that smile... was giving an overwhelming sense of safety.

„Namiashi Raidou.“ Very composed. „Shizune-san said, you’d most likely suffer amnesia. It will pass, don’t worry. You were... Let me explain some things to you. I... We’ve known each other for a long time now. We grew up together.“

There wasn’t even a trace of falseness. Nothing of that in his body language, gestures, every look, every coloring and choice of words too... No danger. Only trust.

The woman now stepped behind Raidou. She had short brown hair, a cute face and friendly eyes. „I am Shizune, your medic.. Glad, you’re back with us, Genma.“

His expression must have spoken volumes.

„Yes, you are Shiranui Genma, Konoha special-jounin and twenty-seven years old. At the moment you are at Konoha hospital, in your hometown. The last two months you spent in a coma and-“ she hesitated for a moment, seemingly struggling with an unknown emotion too, „we were worried you wouldn’t wake up again.“

At the last words, Raidou tightened the grip on his arm: affection. Understanding, he spoke: „You’re my friend-“

Before he knew what was happening, the big man yanked him into a surprisingly desperate hug him and sobs escaped the bear-like warrior.

„’m glad.... I’m so glad you’re alive...“

Genma froze in shock and glanced at his left hand out of the corner of his eyes. Without conscious thought he had tried to drive his fingertips into Raidou’s unprotected side. If it hadn’t been for Shizune, who had caught his arm with practiced ease and stopped him in time, he would have hurt the unsuspecting man who claimed to be his friend. Shizune smiled at him and shook her head before pressing a finger onto her lips and motioning to the clueless Raidou.

Said man coughed and withdrew himself while sheepishly wiping his eyes. „’m sorry.“ He coughed. „I... huh... I couldn’t help myself. Good to have you back, buddy.“ Another tear escaped the man, and he turned away, obviously too embarrassed by this show of affection. Shizune gave a touched chuckle and softly padded his shoulder. „It’s okay. We’re all happy.“

Genma chuckled and let his head drop back onto the pillow. „I suppose th’s th‘ best way for s’meone like me to wake up to... I guess I can’t be a bad person then... With friends like this...“ 

Raidou grinned sheepishly and rubbed his neck. „I... I actually broke four of your ribs when Tsunade-sama asked me to do CPR on you while she was working... Kakashi had to take over... It was-“ His eyes looked everywhere but at him. A not so subtle sharp glance from Shizune let him halt every further explanation of that... event.

„What happened? ’m so tired. Why?“

Shizune told Raidou with a look that it was time to leave now and turned to her patient. „Because you did something really exhausting. It killed you. Chakra - depletion. And other things. But Tsunade-sama was there and somehow managed to save your life. You should thank her. She is... the best there is. You were lucky she was there. But... we’ll talk later about it. First things first. Rest. Your memory and your strength will return. Give yourself time.“

„Rai-…dou?“

The brown-haired man stopped at the door. „Yes?“

„Will you tell me... what I forgot? “

„Rest first. We’ll talk later.“ His smile betrayed another emotion, and Genma was sure it was... pride.

„Yooooooosh, dynamic-“

„Not now, Gai-san. Genma needs to rest. But he will be fine.“

Genma dimly noticed a black haired man in a green clothes crying at the door, joined by several more people who tried to peak over Raidou’s shoulders.

„Where is he?“, Raidou asked and Genma thought, the black haired man nodded towards the window. But he was too tired to check what was out there other than trees.

„W-w-where he is always: guarding his f-friends.... I shall help ten -“

„Yare, yare, calm down, Gai-san. It’s fine. It’s fine. Everything is almost back to normal.“

~*~*~

The following weeks Kakashi was sent on so many missions, that he barely spent actual time in Konoha. Hiruzen asked him again if he wanted to look after a genin-team, and he couldn’t shake the feeling the old man was trying to persuade him through sheer overwork. But on the bright side were his missions with Gai or Tenzou. Once he was sent out with Raidou to the Land of Whirlpools and, while drinking tea in a terrible rain deep in a swamp, eaten alive by insects, the special jounin had shared what he knew about Genma and the others. 

Genma’s memory was slowly returning, and he was back to easy missions, but nothing more. Shikaku wasn’t yet sure what to do with Genma, Kurenai and Kaitou, who were all capable jounin but still had a puppet seal. Though Tsunade’s seal contained them and the caster was dead, it wasn’t known if someone else was capable of performing that jutsu. And Genma wasn’t allowed to guard the Hokage for an unknown time. 

Kaitou spent the weeks grounded at an unknown place guarded by ANBU in Konoha and was freely sharing as much information as he wanted to. Which was a lot. Thanks to that, Tenzou, Aoba and Kōmyō were sent to Yorokobi trying to find what was left of the Yamaguji-group, Hōka’s whereabouts and Iwa’s attempts to fill in the power vacuum left by the Yamaguji in the Land of Bears. Rumors said, a group of rogue Iwa shinobi were preparing for a war.

A lot of things were happening while Genma was still recuperating, most of it hidden from the special jounin. A meeting between the Hokage, jounin commander Shikaku Nara, Tsunade and Kōmyō had been held a few days after Genma’s awakening, to discuss how to handle the situation. Kōmyō had told Raidou the summary and Raidou, always in a melancholic mood while sipping tea under a makeshift rain shield in a swamp somewhere in Whirlpool, confided the delicate intel to Kakashi during a mission.

Some parts he already knew, others he didn’t.

Most of the Sōsu had been destroyed by Genma or ANBU-units. There was little to nothing on the market of that drug. The Yamaguji-group was busted, their headquarter almost completely blown up by Genma on his flight, and what was left of the group was hunted by ANBU and Iwa. The Land of Bears was undergoing a tough time - again. 

In the aftermath of that last fight, it wasn’t clear if Genma was able to use Sōsu ever again. Tsunade feared the capacity overload could have led to a repulsion reaction.

Parts of Genma’s memory had been sealed by Inoichi, the rest would come back on its own. The reason for this action was because of the nature of the jutsu:  
The puppet seal was engrained to a shinobi’s body with something Tsunade had named anchor - seals. Two per seal. If the anchors were broken, the seal would vanish. Problem was, it was fueled by strong emotions, basic emotions, probably trauma. And because a shinobi life, even if trained to handle emotions and suppress them, was full of memories with strong emotions and terrible experiences and so on, the only way to get rid of the anchors was supposedly trauma therapy. 

Asuma was back in Konoha to help Kurenai with her therapy. They were practically glued together now that they had an official reason to spent time together. They were doing fine. 

After Tsunade had told Kaitou about the anchors, he had started to meditate, reclining any sort of counseling by a Konoha medic. 

In Genma’s case, the anchor - seals were interwoven with small additional characters that, according to Kaitou, translated as additional anchors because he had received the puppet seal willingly. Only time would help - the amnesia was slowing the process down.

Genma and Kurenai visited Chisei Tensai, an old lady as thin as a bamboo, for counseling. She was related to the Yamanaka - clan and her mother had been in the code breaker unit, so solving riddles was natural to her and Raidou was at the same time glad and frightened, because she had the reputation to be a sadist of Ibiki’s level. But she was an expert.

All in all the three seemed to do fine and Tsunade’s improved counter seal was incredibly strong. No one would be able to control the three again. In the end it would be best to remove it permanently.

And when the tea was savored and the mission completed, Kakashi started to wonder if and when Genma would remember their liaison.

When they had met by chance at the streets or on the way to the mission office, the other hadn’t reacted. Would it help him if they talked? On the other hand, their break up hadn’t been nice and the two times they had met again and everything seemed back to a good solid friendship, had been after the night with Gosaburo and the morning of his escape from the Yamaguji - estate in the mountain nearby Yorokobi. Not the best memories to wake again. And he didn’t know what Inoichi had sealed away exactly...

Still, as a friend he checked on Genma as often as possible - from afar, he didn’t want the other to think he was a creep. To watch Raidou and Genma practicing katas in perfect synchrony in the early mornings on the Namiashi veranda in front of the beautiful stone garden was a beautiful sight to begin the day. Their training spoke of years of experience and it wasn’t only for the fact that both preferred to wear only trowsers on their morning routine in front of the garden, where normally no one could see them, that both shinobi were an image of grace. The subsequent meditation only added to that and it obviously helped Genma in regaining his memory and to return to the man he once was. And a deeply concentrated Genma was incredibly attractive, so Kakashi checked a lot on them. Just to make sure nothing disturbed their meditation.

*~*

„A wristwatch?“, Genma asked incredulous, and Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, overlooking the surprised faces of Aoba and Iwashi.

Kakashi sighed. Genma might be wondering about the simpleness of the requested object, but more relevant was the nature of the mission. It was one of _those_. And he of all people was announced team captain. He’d have to _watch that_. He’d rather not. 

„The Daimyo wishes to have the latest model and its construction plan. Therefore, he personally requested you for this mission. You might be able to remember that he had observed your efforts for the past years now and when the matter appeared, he remembered your name. 

The security is high level, which makes the mission a B rank. The Daimyo wishes to remind Miyota of their basis of negotiation because Miyota refused his conditions before. You only need to make his acquaintance, gain his trust and make him open some doors for you.“

Genma nodded. „Hai, Hokage-sama. I will find the items.“ Then he looked back at the three shinobi standing behind him and his nervous eyes were now fixed on Kakashi. „Still... isn’t that a little much... manpower to deal with the Miyota-Clock-Imperial?“ 

Hiruzen’s smile was thin lipped and caused a sudden bad feeling in Kakashi. 

„Just be careful. All of you.”

„We meet in three hours. West gate,“ Kakashi said.

The four shinobi nodded and bowed in respect before the Hokage before turning around to leave.

Genma lagged behind. Before reaching the side exit he stopped. 

„Kakashi?“

„Huh?“

„I...“ 

Was that a faint shimmer of red on the ANBU’s cheeks? Still a cutie, slightly amnesic or not.

„Do you have a moment?“

Kakashi nodded and tried to ignore the way his traitorous heart took a leap, and Genma’s senbon pointed to the door to their left.

Blinking, Kakashi rubbed the back of his head with a giggle because it was _that_ door, and went inside the former armory that was now used as a seldomly used spare office. A deep in thought Genma followed with unknown-maybe-not-so-unknown agenda.

Kakashi leaned against the windowsill, showing the other a picture of serenity. „You are starting to remember.“

The musing man nodded, fighting in a very obvious way to mimic the calm appearance. „Yes.“ 

Then he leaned against the empty desk and Kakashi’s eyebrow twitched. This piece of furniture had seen things... Genma sighed, oblivious. „Bits and pieces. Fragments. And... a lot of sex. With you.

My therapist is really crazy about digging in my head. Imagine the feeling when there seems to be nothing else but sex concerning the last months of my life. Tensai-sensei, and I swear she is something of a sadist, turned my mind inside-out. And she said... my mind is a funny place to be. Can you believe that? I’m an assassin, and she thinks its funny inside my mind. She torments me, an ANBU, with having to talk about _feelings_ and stuff. No torture-training I ever underwent compares to _her_ methods! And... she said, if I don’t have the... _talk_ with you, she wouldn’t allow me to take any outside missions again. Like... ever again. So... here I am... Embarrassed and nervous, grown-up and trained in conversation, trying to talk about... stuff.“

Kakashi blinked and tried to process the words the man sputtered in incredible speed, and he was glad the mask hid the way the corners of his mouth twitched. So it _was_ time for the talk they never had when they were seeing each other. The copy-nin gave the desk a meaningful glance. „And you chose _this_ room for this moment?“

Genma frowned and took a closer look at their surroundings, unable to grab the specific memory. So Kakashi decided to jog his memory.

„Last time you dragged me inside this room you persuaded me to give you a blowjob on that desk, Genma.“

For a few heartbeats nothing happened and Kakashi started to wonder if the other really didn’t know about what had happened here. Not only a bj, no, Kakashi had also created a kagebunshin...

The reaction reminded him of an explosion. Genma withdrew his hand from the desk as if he’d burned it and... _yes_, only Genma could blush that beautifully. Must have remembered how Kakashi, kneeling in front the special jounin, had made him lose his control, how his knees had buckled and how his clone had embraced him to steady him again... Hm, no wonder the therapist liked to delve into Genma’s mind.

„And when you weren’t able to stifle your voice any longer, Yuugao heard you and came in, fearing for an assassination attempt on the Hokage.“

Genma’s eyebrow twitched. He gulped audibly and started to rub the back of his head. But it was the moment when he turned his hip a little to the side that Kakashi knew the man was getting a little uncomfortable in his trousers. 

„Tsk. How... I wonder how you managed to shake her off. She _must_ have seen us.“

„Sharingan.“

„You hypnotized her? Your own team-mate? What did she see?“

„A whole room filled with so many versions of the two of us doing it, that she was sure she was hallucinating and went to the hospital directly after.“

Genma’s eyes widened in shock. „Uh...!“

„A-ahaha, kidding. Showed her an empty room. That’s all there is to it, but you should have seen your face.“

Genma sighed heavily. “I should have known this wouldn’t be easy with you... Okay, focus Genma, you can do that. Yeah... Kakashi. Listen to me. I had a plan how I was going to say this and it would be REALLY nice if you would simply shut up for now and listen.“

This time it Kakashi was blinking. But he thought Genma in commanding mode was very sexy, so he nodded eagerly and with a happy-only slightly leering-grin.

Genma’s blush returned, and he tsk’d. „Stop that. You are making me nervous.“

„You are making me nervous too, you know.“

"Ts..." The special jounin inhaled deeply before starting anew, and Kakashi knew, now was the moment for the big confession. The moment the other had spent a lot of thinking to. „Whatever you do... Kakashi... You’re always cool like that... to me.“

„Huh?“ What kind of confession was that?

„Shut up. I’m not done talking! Where was I... Yeah...“ He crossed his arms before looking very annoyed at his own obvious show of self protection and let his arms fall to his sides angrily. „Okay! When we grew up, you and Gai were always... special to me. You were always so hip and cool together,“ Kakashi sweatdropped at his own contradict... memories to that theory, briefly wondering how opinions could differ, „and... I enjoyed watching the two of you growing into outstanding, incredible shinobi. But at some point my perception of you started to differ. And... whatever you did, you always looked so cool doing it, and... I... damn it, I’m the more action less talking kind of guy... Okay, I can do that feelings stuff without action, I was even trained in this, I’m a man.“ The last sentence was whispered more to himself and Kakashi found the man absolutely adorable, „My therapist said I’d have to go to the source of it all. Find out about my own desires - still can’t believe I’m talking like that - and... well... I learned a lot about myself and what I want these last weeks.  
So... all that thinking and mind probing got me to the one and only reasonable conclusion:“

The copy-nin nodded, totally ready to hear THE confession. So...-

„I’ll have to kill you.“

Kakashi did a double take. „Nani? How is that reasonable??“

„You brought my body’s chemical reactions in disarray. I cannot operate like that. It’s only reasonable to eliminate the source.“ 

Kakashi lifted a slender eyebrow. _Chemical reactions, huh? That’s a way to rename what could only be _these_ feelings. _ „Well, I admit it IS terrifying because that is something one cannot control, ANBU or not. Still... You won’t have to kill me for that, you know?“

„Damn, I swear, when I practiced that in my mind, it was totally easy. You look cool, whatever you do, even NOW and it... pisses me off!“ 

Kakashi was astonished. Well, that wasn’t the usual feelings-lovey-dovey-talk between two ANBU-don’t-do-feelings at all...

„And I really want to know, Kakashi: What are we now?“

A shrug. „Friends?“

„What we did... what we had... exceeded the level of friendship, don’t you agree? So... what kind of relationship do we have now? I noticed you watching me from afar“ Kakashi sweatdropped and rubbed the back of his head, „so I know that you still care for me in a way, but you never approached me. So... That night, when I last visited Gosaburo, you were there for me, and also when I made that big stone of Sōsu explode... you embraced me like... like you cared, and... pffff... That felt really nice. I felt special. I felt special because it was you who... held me like that... and I felt strong and ready to do everything for you and with you. I... I’ve been waiting for you to talk about that, to approach me again and talk about it until I understood, that you would never come to me on your own. You’re not the type to do so and that’s okay. And because I might be that type too, my therapist made me do it and here we are now... Still... when I think about what we had... at least, of what I remember... There is that question... Was there more to us then just the two of us having sex? Most of my memories are about that, and that makes me really nervous because that could mean I got everything wrong and am currently embarrassing us _both_.“

„What else do you remember of us?“

„Let me think... Ah, there was a time I struggled to write a mission report sitting at your kotatsu while you rested your head on my lap... That ... feels like a nice memory. So there was also not-sex-related time we spend together, right?“

„Hmm... yeah... that too ended in a blowjob, you know? Sixty-nine, to be precise.“

Genma winced and started to rub his temples. He gulped audibly and when he spoke up next, it sounded raspy like a morning voice, as if that memory had just flashed back into his mind. „What I’m trying to say is: I don’t fuck my friends-“

„Not since Anko.“

“... yeah, genius, and you don’t do relationships. Not since... you lost so many important relationships in the past. It’s not hard to understand why you summon your whole pack when you're lonely - they are like your oldest and best friends. But then there’s also your friendship with Gai and it is... beautiful and clearly a relation too. And... I’m jealous. Because I want to have some kind of relation to you, too. I’d accept any form of relation, even it that means those flashbacks will haunt me forever without the chance for repetition. As long as you don’t shut me out of your life.“ 

Kakashi was deeply impressed by this confession and adored the man’s courage to do so.

„But I also understand, that I betrayed your trust, when you started to open up - and I still can’t believe it was me that you gave that chance to... well, that night in the forest, when you stopped me from leaving Konoha and, um, arrested me... I wanted to hurt you to make you let me go, and... I never said sorry for these words. So... sorry about that.“

„I know. I know why you did it.“

„You knew?“

„Thing is, it worked." _It hurt._ "But I understand you, being a genius and all, I even knew that you treated me as a mission, so you could deny your own developing feelings towards me.“

Genma froze, shocked, and Kakashi knew he hit the mark. 

„But I agree. The time we shared was intense. And the sex was... awesome, addicting even. It was as well an occasion to get to know you and spend time with you. Who would have thought that you could make such an obscene face while getting it up the ass?“ 

Genma sucked in his breath. „Whaaa-...? Why does it sound like you're talking about the weather when you say such lewd things?“

„You are a very sensitive, a very responsive and generous person, I always liked that in a lover and when I learned that about you, it was all the more challenging getting to see that side of you more often. Nice memories, when you tried so hard not to make a noise the times the sex was really good and you tried but completely failed to play the seducer and your guard was so down that you weren’t able to suppress those high-pitched noises...“

„I did none such things!“

„Totally did. Ngh-noises, a sixth higher but still very manly-“

„Stop it! You are not helping the situation! How are we supposed to talk coherently if you keep averting the topic by bringing up those ...memories!“

„It’s the room, you know. Here I discovered how sensitive your nipples are and how much you like to be ... _embraced._“

Genma groaned and nervously teared at his hair. Then he mumbled: „Only with you.“

„Huh?“

„I know you heard me! Usually I don’t like it when someone holds me down in a situation like THAT, I have bad experiences with chains, but when you held me it felt... perfect. Exciting. Hot. And _safe_. Normally.... Normally... my libido tends to wear my lovers out. Sometimes I end up pressuring them. That’s normally when they step back, and we separate ways. But you... I don’t know if I have to thank Icha Icha for that or just biology, but you never seemed to mind. In fact, you were... the same. And not only that... the sex was fantastic. We are compatible and when I started to remember, that really gave me a hard time.“

„Like now?“ Kakashi pointed at the slight tent at Genma’s crotch.

„I can’t help it with you... And all that talk about what I desire... Well... it’s simple. I want you - again. I want what we had, whatever it was, fb’s or fwb’s, whatever, and I want to spend quality-time with you, get to know everything about you and stuff...“

„Hmm.... Let me think about it... yeah.... so... I won’t let you claim my fantastic lips that easily again. Or my body.“

„Huh? You're quoting Icha Icha as payback?“

„I’m not the type to sleep with someone I’m not serious about.“

Genma blinked in surprise and refueled insecurity. After some moments, he went on. „Then what is it _you_ want, Kakashi?“

Kakashi nodded and tapped a finger against his chin in pondering. „For starters, I don’t want you to treat me like I am a mission again. That’s non-negotiable!“

Genma nodded like an obedient but embarrassed dog caught in the act.

„Then... I want you to take things seriously. Try to convince me, with actions, not with your trained skills, I know you prefer them, but don’t try to seduce me with your body or with Icha Icha quotes until I am convinced that you take it serious this time.“

Genma nodded again.

„What else is there... Oh yes: when you convinced me you really mean what you’re doing, I want you to only have unprotected sex with me - no matter the mission! No matter what! That includes cunnilingus and blowjobs. I don’t want to die because of any ugly STD that makes my dick fall off or something, clear?“

Genma was flabbergasted. „So that means we _will_ do it-“

„Convince me you take this serious.“

„Tch. Hai. I won’t screw up that second chance. Hopefully. Thank you for trusting me with this.“ Abruptly he turned to the door.

„You in a hurry?“

„I’ll go and take a cold shower. See you at the gate.“

Kakashi snorted. When Genma left, he let his head thud against the cool wall. It had been sooo hard to restrain himself. Why was he so masochistic to deny himself an obviously horny Genma directly in front of him while bringing up a lot of sexy stuff that had happened between them? But then again, he was sure it would be an interesting time. Because now he confirmed what he had known for a long time now: Shiranui Genma was a fascinating man.

~*~*~

„What... Why are you cooking such a complex meal on a mission, Genma?“

„Taichou needs good vegetables.“

Aoba looked from Genma, sprinkling a pinch of salt over some grilled mushrooms with a highly concentrated face and ridiculous accuracy, to Kakashi, sitting with his back against a tree, totally relaxed, reading porn.

Iwashi snorted from his guarding spot somewhere in the trees and Genma presented his work proudly to Kakashi who sniffed at it a few times before nodding in agreement.

„Stop giving taichou that look!“, Aoba was getting more and more frustrated. „It’s impossible for me to focus on the mission if you do that!“

„What look?“

„As if I need to explain!“

Genma chuckled the protest away and shrugged. „Okay. It’s been a while since I’ve been outside of Konoha. Let me acclimatize.“

Aoba snorted. „I want some vegetables too!“

„Feel free.“

„Okay, we’re friends again.“

„That was easy.“

„Gimme that salt. Don’t want you to oversalt them.“

„What’s that supposed to mean?“

„I’ll say it again for you: as if I need to explain.“

~*~*~

The contacting itself went clockwise, Genma’s skills weren’t rusty at all. But everything else went wrong. A third group entered the scene and had ended the mission premature.

Longer than necessary Kakashi stared at the spot where the transport jutsu had been that had transported the enemy, possible Iwa shinobi, as well as their teammate to an unknown location, and he tried to remember where he had last seen this jutsu and if it was the same.

Aoba stepped to his side murmuring in worry: „It’s always nothing but trouble with the sexy dudes!“

~*~*~

When said sexy dude could hear footsteps approaching, he looked up from his kneeling position. His captors had bound his wrists behind his back and made him wait here, in front of three steps that led to a pedestal. He had no clue about the location other than it looked like an underground hideout. No windows, but a lot of samurai - statues lined the hall. The fire of the torches mirrored Genma’s uneasy feelings about the situation. It was never good to fall in the hands of abductors, whatever their motive - and these fellows even tested his ability with the damn mineral to confirm they caught the right guy. He didn’t recognize the man who stood behind him, armed to the teeth, several weapons pointing at his neck, another bad sign. But they had used earth jutsu to get him out of the building before, so that probably meant they were Iwa shinobi. Hopefully this wasn’t some kind of revenge-thing for his involvement with the Sōsu-dealings. After having blown up every piece of Sōsu in the Yamaguji-estate, there wasn’t much left on the market.

But he had recognized the transport-jutsu that had brought him here. Kaitou had used it with the help of a few other shinobi when he had beaten Kakashi’s ANBU-team in stealing the world’s rarest mineral . And he had worked for Gosaburo at that time. Greed and minerals - the two recurring topics of the last months. And maybe his capture was connected to these two again.

Genma looked up. Gosaburo loved stages and dramatic enters. He’d grant it the man. And then he’d happily drive his heel into that fat face! As if he’d have to fear that man without Kaitou at his side!  
Genma’s smile was cocky while he waited for the two persons to step into the torches‘ lights. They stopped directly in front of Genma and his breath caught. ... it wasn’t Gosaburo. Raidou had told him, Gosaburo had been killed by Red’s men in his fortress, how could he have forgotten?

„I - I killed you!“ He struggled against his bonds but his guards seized his shoulders and pressed his face into the cold stone floor, directly in front of the man’s feet, whose face had been burned beyond recognition.

„Welcome back to the family.“

The special jounin let chakra cut through his bonds to launch and attack, but a sudden familiar weight around his neck sealed his chakra again and hands captured his wrists in a vice-like grip. Out of the corner of his eyes he recognized the man that had walked in at Red’s side: Ashita.

He could already feel the puppet seal burning on his shoulder, but Tsunade’s seal was still strong and contained it.

„There’s a lot I want to talk about, but there is almost no time before the attack. We need your strength to survive, Genma.“ 

„As if I’d help you!“ A sting on his shoulder and Genma felt drowsy.

Someone cut his shirt to reveal Tsunade’s seal on his shoulder and a woman’s voice said: „We’ll have to deal with that extra seal first. But I’ve got an idea.“

„What idea?“, Red asked in his raspy voice and Genma was barely able to make out the words.

„The puppet seal is strong. It needs a strong emotion to overpower that containment seal. It’s time for a family reunion.“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the chapter wasn't boring, it felt a bit strange writing it. 
> 
> But I took my time to think how 'the talk' between Kakashi and Genma should go and I thought, Kakashi would turn the tables on a Genma in disadvantage. And I read so many 'talks' in fanfiction, that I wanted to try a slightly different approach - hope it worked. I suprised myself when I wrote, Kakashi wants their relationship to be serious, but then again I thought, why not, he deserves something solid and not something half-assed. And its just fanfiction. ;)
> 
> Even though I've mostly written the last chapter, I had one or two more ideas and am thinking about dividing the chapter into two, maybe three chapters.  
Who knows.


	23. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veteran shinobi are prepared for a lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What I am to say, I already told you I grew up with Sailor Moon, so there’s shiny crystals everywhere. ;)))  
And because I had to research about the atomic bomb for three different projects (last year), Cold War and hot wars and also prostitution, mafia and drugs, its all mingled in this story somehow.^^ Sorry not to be sorry, harhar!
> 
> Warnings: grammar, spelling, choice of words

Chapter 22

„Over there...! Keep going if you want to find what you couldn’t...“

The woman’s voice was haunting and had a strange metallic echo that was ringing uncomfortably inside his head. Nakamura-sensei was her name, and he’d already met her months ago at the Onsen... Red’s mom, Hinode had told him back then.

Not a nice mom, though. However, her tone was almost kind when she’d taken off the stupid chakra collar and sent him that way... And because there wasn’t much else he thought made sense, he stumbled forward, on and on for seemingly endless minutes, driven by the foreboding feeling to be able to finally, finally find what was still missing... The air was hot and muggy and sweat was starting to burn in his eyes. It didn’t really help to swipe his forehead with the sleeve of his arm, it didn’t help to pause for a moment and take a breather. Nothing helped the liquid fire in his veins.

His mind was foggy enough to miss how the lights of the torches bent down to the ground, how the narrow underground hallway wobbled and turned or why the gate to the underground arena was wide open as if awaiting him...

The voices... The men’s voices... What were they talking about again before Nakamura-sensei had drugged him? Something about running out of time? That they were to be overrun, because Iwa nin crossed the borders? It was hard to focus and admittedly he didn’t care much about these people... Let the Yamaguji deal with their own problems. He didn’t care if they were killed by Iwa nins... Okay, technically spoken he _would_ like that. Let Iwa deal with the bad guys, they were rotten to the core, no one would shed any tears over the mafia. 

Nearly stumbling face-first into a torch he somehow avoided this scenario, crashed hard onto his knees instead and was almost certain to feel soft grass underneath his fingers and not the red grit he knew was there. Oh, nice drugs. Like flowing. But he couldn’t fly. Right? 

He’d reached the end of the hallway.

Behind the open cast-iron gate lay the wide dark realms of what he marginally registered as an underground arena. 

And he was certain, as certain as the unhelpful substances flooding his system, that he knew that place.

_Do I?_ He squinted, eyeing the place with suspicion while chewing on an imaginative senbon.

Then he almost lost his grip on reality.

There.

There, in the middle of the barely lit arena, lying face down on a red glowing seal, was her...

A slender woman with soft brown hair, tied up in a messy bun, short fringe, eyes closed, face relaxed as if asleep.

Michirou.

His eyes widened and a sudden heat pooled into his chest, making him stand up again, hurry...

Finally.

Finally, after all those years...

He’d found her again.

Drugged to the eyeballs, tokubetsu jounin Shiranui Genma, had finally found his sister after two very long years. Too drugged to be true? No, his mind was clearing, slowly, but what was adrenaline for if not for that? He had to get closer to make sure. 

_Never trust information you haven’t faked yourself, right?_

Hardly believing his good luck he headed towards the woman with the stupidest, most sheepish grin he could master. If it wasn’t an illusion, no one on this earth would be able to separate them ever again. If it was an illusion, he could deal with that too. Somehow. He’d just had to keep walking... and... eventually, at last, his trembling hands reached forward and his knees hit the sand next to her unmoving head, barely registering the flaming red signs on the ground. 

„Oneesan…“ Something dark pulsed on his shoulder, and he had to fight down the dizziness.

If he could touch her, if his fingers wouldn’t glide through her body, she couldn’t be a ghost, right? He’d had to make sure...

With gentle hands he turned her around and shifted the frail body of his sister so her head was resting on his lap. 

„Not a ghost.“ And he chuckled, a sound that sounded slightly crazy in his own ears. It stopped, when he bit his lip to concentrate at the task at hand again.

Hair brittle, eyes sunken and face haggard but still the beauty she always has been in his eyes. Numb fingers tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smoothening it, just how she preferred it.

„Oneesan…“ His voice sounded so hoarse.

„Gen-…?“ And hers like sweet, sweet honey. „Are you real?“

Maybe water gathered in his eyes. Maybe not. „Hai, Oneesan… I found you…“

With her dark eyes clouded with fatigue there was recognition in them. She cried. “It _is_ you.” 

Crocodile tears freely fell from her eyes and her hand reached up to cup his cheek. “Genma!”, she cried while laughing at the same time and her hands slid around his shoulders, like his slid around her upper body, supporting her and holding her in a bear hug. 

“I’m sorry. I’ll protect you now, I’ll get you home! Promise!”

Another pulse of something dark on his shoulder, almost like a heartbeat, in unison with the red seal this time. Then the feeling was gone again. Even if Genma’s drugged mind wasn’t able to analyze fast, it didn’t mean he didn’t try. Because analyzing a situation was often the key to get out of it alive. 

_Is the seal reacting to me? To my emotions? If they thought that would be enough to break Tsunade’s jutsu, they never heard of the will of fire every Konoha shinobi inherited. Stupid Oyabun, trying to mess with someone as calm and laid back as myself..._ Though he admitted, this moment, meeting her again while his mind was a foggy mess, was indeed well staged... _Damn Nakamura._

“I’m not stupid,” he mumbled, not sure if he said that out loud.

Then he smiled warmly at Michirou again, overwhelmed by his love for his sibling, and she mirrored the gesture, an eerie glow in her dark teary eyes he almost missed. Almost. 

Unsettling, foreign.

Someone approached them, clandestine, devious, and every alarm bell ringed in Genma’s head. On instinct, he tightened the grip on her protectively. _Not now!_ They’d barely had time to reassure each other to be real and not an illusion. They gave her to him, obviously thinking this desperate meeting after two years of dread and sorrow would be enough of a strong emotion to break the barrier seal, but he wasn’t only a well-trained tokubetsu but an ex-ANBU too, and ANBU didn’t do feelings... He’d never give her back now! Let them try, he’d give them hell!

The kunai missed his head by a hair, explosion - tag whizzing. Without thinking, he snatched it from where it had landed near his feet and threw it back, shielding his sister from the subsequent explosion with his body.

When he looked up, eyes narrowed, he saw Red standing about a hundred meters away, facing him carefully as if assessing his miscalculation.

„Plan failed, asshole. You got something else up your sleeve?“

Not that he himself had a plan but who was he to judge. But protecting their family was something a Konoha shinobi was best at!

The seal on his shoulder pulsed again, stronger this time. 

Hatred. Facing that man it was hard _not_ to feel that. If he let his emotions get the better of him now, they would win. He wouldn’t let them. Not now, not ever. So he breathed his anger away like Raidou had taught him in so many meditation sessions. Not that he was an angry person to begin with. But Red wouldn’t know that. 

Genma smiled, fingers stroking the red ANBU-spiral on Michirou’s shoulder reassuringly.

„I have no weapons with me, but ninjutsu should work. You stay down,“ he whispered, face slightly averted in case his enemy was able to lip-read. A tingling sensation on his neck warned him of more enemies approaching.

With much effort Michirou cocked her head to the side to expose an interestingly painted ear ring. „Use this.“ She smiled at the surprise on his face. „ANBU, remember? Good at snatching useful gadgets... They told me we’d meet today, so I prepared... I’m not dead yet, even though they think otherwise...“ A haggard wrist rose and another stone fell out of her sleeve. „Never dance with a Shiranui if you aren’t up to it...“

Genma smirked and grabbed the items before getting up, fists tightly closed around the two minerals, that were now hot and gleaming with power. He didn’t dare move his sister in her condition, but he himself stepped off the red seal to get out of its reach and eyed his enemies carefully. 

So here it was. The beginning of the end. Again.

And this time, the Oyabun was even uglier than before. „Now you at least live up to your name, Red!“

„You fled! You left your sister behind, here with us, to fade slowl-“

A senbon of orange chakra penetrated eye and skull in less than a second.

The man had the decency to somehow blink in surprise before he collapsed to the ground.

With grim satisfaction, Genma allowed himself a small smile, hands sluggishly buried in his pockets. 

„Tsk.“ _Ten o’clock!_

Then he turned slightly to his left, where another man had emerged. And oh what a coincidence, he too looked like Red... _A clone jutsu?_

The body on the ground vanished in a puff of orange oily smoke.

Genma’s eyes widened shortly. _A Sōsu - clone? Shit. He really is good with that stuff!_

Seven more clones appeared out of thin air, armed with orange glowing minerals and ninja weapons and ready to strike. With a raw battle cry, the Oyabun in their middle threw himself forwards, several jutsu’s flew through the air, aiming directly at ...Michirou.

„No!“

Without the Sōsu, Genma didn’t possess many ninjutsu techniques, none to block that kind of jutsu to be precise, but he’d seen the creature all these months ago do it... It should be possible somehow, right? With the minerals at hand he could create almost everything he could think of - or he’d die trying. Without thinking much he created an orange chakra wall with five slobbering dog faces - a surprisingly ugly and low-level imitation of Kakashi’s high-level jutsu. It was the first thing that’d come into his mind. 

More surprising was the fact, that it worked. But it felt _wrong_, different. It wasn’t perfect, he wasn’t really good with that kind of barrier, and it took every ounce of concentration to keep it up. Even feeling the Sōsu’s power rushing through his veins didn’t feel right anymore. 

But it worked. He smoothly glided into a fighting posture. No Yakuza would ever come between him and his family again.

Several more Sōsu-Clones appeared and started to attack his wall with fierce and imaginative jutsus, and Genma had to push his still-recovering-from-shiny-drugs - mind hard to concentrate, to strengthen it.

_And look who joins the fun now!_

Ashita and the orange-haired guy who had caught him on his mission merged and stepped to Red’s sides. More and more jutsu’s crashed against the barrier he created around his sister and himself.  
One especially vicious assault made him stumble and fall onto one knee, muscles on his arms flexing in effort to keep up the protection jutsu. The small minerals his sister had been able to snatch would soon be overused and explode, he could feel them vibrating already. If that happened, he would have nothing left to defend Michirou from this kind of jutsus! Or? Or was there something else? A faint memory of another possibility maybe?

He was already panting heavily.

„More...“ Michirou whispered encouraging, obviously able to feel what was happening to the two minerals. „More, Genma...! Before...!“

Genma grit his teeth, steadied his posture and focused his mind onto the minerals. He could strengthen them too. Maybe. 

Michirou was right. It was their only chance. If he lost that fight now, he’d lose her again to them! Not now when he‘d just found her!

A lance of concentrated Sōsu blazed a trail towards his barrier and ...simply dug underneath!

„Shit!“ He hadn’t thought to extend it into the underground!

Urgently Genma used his left hand to block it with a likewise jutsu, not thinking at all, just trusting his instincts and his imagination to make it work, trying to force the attack back and out again. At the same time he had to stop his minerals from bursting - they were at their limits, and he had to give more and more of his own chakra to compensate, which was surprisingly straining. It had never been that hard before to use it! Not since he made that monster Sōsu, that _Black_ Sōsu explode... Tsunade had warned him that because of that last time, he might not be able to use the mineral as freely as before again.

„Shit!“

Sweat rolled down his face and into his eyes. Seemed she was indeed right.

„More!“, Michirou urged, tone frightened, and his breath halted.

Never ever had he heard her voice sound like that... 

With a cry something like a barrier inside him broke and a searing pain was putting enough pressure onto his brain he thought for a moment he’d die. His eyes and hair started glowing. First orange, then black like that day he’d let the Black Sōsu explode in another attempt to kill that damn undying bastard Red, and the barrier was pushed back against their enemies while sending wave after wave of orange-black chakra senbon. There were so many enemies now, fifty or more, everyone wearing Red’s ugly face except Ashita and that other guy, and he was sure it must be a genjutsu that had multiplied them to confuse Genma or the other really _was_ that good with Sōsu... And whatever he did, it wasn’t enough to defeat the bastard!

What if he lost now?!

„More!“

Blood was dripping down his nose and chin.

„MORE, GENMA!“

And this time, he let the two minerals overload and detonate in a wide range explosion of bitter black that destroyed the arena and the whole building along.

Desperately gasping for air, he fell down onto his knee again, gripping his hurting head with both hands. Blood fell freely from his chin onto ash. Ash that could have been grass before. The sun was burning in his eyes, his ears buzzing.

Were these really the remains of burned grass beneath his fingers?

Confused, he looked up to take in his surroundings and saw that he wasn’t in the arena, maybe never had been, but outside on a grassland, somewhere, surrounded by the remains of innumerable bodies of shinobi with Iwa headbands.

„The fuck!?“

In utter disbelief he looked back to where his sister should be, but there was nothing left but ashes...

The muscles in his neck cramped when he cocked his head to the side, trembling. Uncomprehending.

„But... But... But....“

_Did I just kill my sister?_

His thoughts were racing. Did he...? Was he even _able_ to kill a Shiranui with Sōsu? Or had her chakra been already drained too much to protect her anymore? She’d been already half dead when he’d found her... Still, that shouldn’t be possible, right? He couldn’t kill his own sister when all he wanted was to protect her?! 

„No...“

Clapping sounds.

A chuckle. 

From behind.

„Genjutsu really is one of your weaknesses, huh? Too bad you killed your sister along with the enemy. She could have survived some days more, as Nakamura assured me.“

Disbelieving of what just had happened and the overwhelming dread pooling in his stomach threatening to drown him before he could comprehend anything, all Genma could do was stare at the spot where his sister had died...

_I made a mistake... How can someone make such a mistake!?_

„Fool,“ Red spat. Then he winked and the red seal under Genma’s body - which had _followed_ him without the special jounin noticing - pulsed in unison with the seal on his shoulder and before the shinobi was able to react at all, something cracked. 

An invisible power forced his body down to the red glowing ground. Desperately gasping for air, grasping at the seals burning hot like liquid fire on his shoulder and his veins while frantically looking for signs of his sister, any sign, that he hadn’t killed his own sibling... The red seal was too intense, too hot to... He’d miscalculated! The genjutsu had put Red's face on the Iwa shinobi and had fooled him into thinking to be somewhere else, had he imagined the dialogue too? However, he came to understand he wasn’t ready to face so many jutsus designed especially as traps for him alone...  
Blackness dripped from where Tsunade’s seal had started to crack and the red seal on the ground flooded upwards and over his body, covering his skin in dirty ashen red until nothing was left. It almost swept his mind away like an avalanche, almost leaving him no chance at all, buried and painted his insides with blackness, every orange shimmer, every glimmer of his will of fire, slowly covering his mouth, nose... and Tsunade’s artful seal broke. 

Tar washed away his world and this time he was dragged along. His mind was pushed away, black tendrils winding around him, binding him, banning him to that dark place, his last safe place, far far away from the surface... Like watching everything though a barrier of glass, he could see how the distance rapidly grew too much, too much to see the outside world through his own eyes again, and he knew, he had lost the control over his own body - again. He’d lost everything when he’d lost control over his emotions... He’d lost his sister, he’d killed the Iwa shinobi that had come to eliminate the Yamaguji, and he had stopped them because he hadn’t recognized Nakamura had put him not only under drugs but a genjutsu too... That witch! 

The puppet seal was active again. 

His sister was dead.

„I’ll allow you to see what is happening now, so you can get a taste, but nothing more after that.“

And suddenly he could see through his own eyes again, could see the black markings on his body mimicking Red’s tattoos and could also see about ten remaining Iwa shinobi launching their last enhanced ninjutsu attack... with _Sōsu!_

_Are they insane? Don’t they know who I am? Or has the addictive mineral destroyed their minds already?_

„Kill them!“ 

He felt every piece of mineral and used it without hesitating: orange glowing chakra faded to black and dark fire burned down the shinobi in a mushroom shaped explosion. 

The Iwa unit was wiped out in a heartbeat by a single puppet.

Genma banged his fists against the glass separating him from his body, but to no avail.

Red smiled, pleased, but kept his distance. The orange haired dude guarding his side suddenly drew his sword, as if he had noticed something. 

They were outside. Somewhere. He couldn’t turn around so that left only guessing. Maybe near Iwa’s borders? Or nearby Yorokobi? What had the guy sensed? Hopefully not another enemy approaching!

And as if to make everything worse, like ghosts from the past, leaving their cover after being discovered and going for the direct approach, two Konoha-shinobi appeared by his side, Tenzou and Kōmyō - sensei. They looked at him with caution, suspicion even, talked to him, but he couldn’t hear their voices, only saw their mouths moving. If he was lucky it was just another genjutsu and nothing of this was really happening!

The orange haired man attacked with a sword, but Kōmyō used her hand fan and disarmed the man in less than a second before crushing his windpipe with her foot. Tenzou hurriedly beckoned at Genma to follow, to flee, but his body didn’t move.

Red chuckled - the only voice he could hear clear as day. „Kill them, Genma!“

In a heartbeat Kōmyō - sensei’s beautiful kimono was burning and Tenzou reacted faster than lightning. A smoke grenade and gone where the two Konoha nin as if they’d never been there. Aghast, Genma understood what he’d done to his sensei... and his sister. Had he ever in his life felt that desperate? He desperately hoped it was all an illusion, all on the drugs! Because... it looked like no one survived the Black Sōsu. Not his sister, not Anko’s mom! Red had, but only because he’d copied Genma’s move to imitate the Sōsu so it went almost completely through him... But if one didn’t know or wasn’t able to do that... no one survived an attack like that. _-„Never wish any Konoha - citizens harm...“, _his mom had taught him.

Red put a coat over his shoulder and let his hand fall onto the renewed seal there, kneading the tense muscles. „Well done, Genma.“

He didn’t give an answer. His body hadn’t been asked for one.

„From now on your name is Shinju again.“

Silence.

„Jump.“

And he did. 

~*~*~

Since at least the last great shinobi war the five great ninja villages eyed each other with open distrust. Diplomatic notes occurred, however cooperations were rarities. In this case, with jounin commander Shikaku Nara as a smart and respected adviser, negotiation with Iwa was made possible. Iwagakure had declared war to the Yamaguji - group in their neighboring country. And because the mafia was controlling the feudal lord, they were controlling his armies, which made the conflict a war between two countries. That alone wasn’t reason enough for Konoha to interfere, but the once again booming market of selling the drug named Sōsu concerned every nation and especially every shinobi village. And after all, it also concerned the remaining heirs of the Shiranui clan.  
That’s why Konoha was about to send reinforcements.

Kakashi shouldered his backpack, in full jounin uniform, and headed towards the west gate. Even though he was relatively on time, the others were already waiting for him. Heavily armed and with their baggage Tsunade, Gai, Anko, Tokuma Hyuga, Kurenai and the famous Ino-Shika-Cho trio were a sight to behold. A team ready to face war.  
An unusual combination of talents, displaying the utmost urgency of their mission in a way that appeared to be as exciting as it was frightening in equal measure. A group of shinobi sent out to stop Shiranui Genma. That meant either by saving or killing him. No other options. 

Raidou, Tenzou and Aoba were already present in the Land of Bears, scouting. Timing was crucial if they wanted to be there for the decisive battle. The first strike had been in favor of the Yamaguji - group, according to intel (Tenzou), Genma’d wiped out a whole company. And Genma’s recent power was the power of the Yamaguji. What made him their most important man and the primary target to Iwa. 

Plans were forged and discarded, more ideas contemplated. Everything would depend on Raidou and Aoba’s observations.

Shikaku gave a sharp nod and with grim expressions on their faces the shinobi headed out to the Land of Bears, to the frontlines.

Kakashi wasn't a religious man. But this time, as someone referred to as Friend-Killer-Kakashi, he prayed it wouldn't come to that.

______________________________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So far thats still the story I originally planned. But in the next chapter I included some ideas that I thought were too much to be put into one chapter. So about two chapters left.
> 
> Poor Genma again. But the dose makes the poison. Btw: I realized that in every story of my ANBU series I knocked Genma out. *lol*  
I love ‚departure to the frontlines‘-scenes in Naruto. Of course I had to write one too. The stage is set. On to the final.
> 
> And dear Kashiira, I dared to quote your comment in this chapter. ;)))


	24. Chapter 23 and 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey folks,  
sorry for the long wait, work was/is crazy and straining.  
Tried to write some Naruto-typical action here so feel free to put on the Naruto Battle OSTs!!! ;)  
Genma is said to be one of the most skilled shinobi in konoha even though he's 'only' a tokubetsu jounin, but because of his skills he's known to take part in a lot of difficult missions. Sooooooo..... yeah... I had some ideas here...
> 
> All in all I had so many ideas for this chapter, that I deleted some of them. But I don't want to make a one-shot out of some of them.
> 
> The second part of the chapter totally got out of hand because I wrote it in a completely different mood than most of the story. I’m not sure if I should delete most of the scenes there - except for the first. If you like, tell me what you think.

Chapter 23

The mist was silently crawling over the mountain tops of Bear Country, covering everything in cobweb like streaks of white, even the coniferous forest they were currently passing through. It was two hours before dawn, they’d attack in less than two hours from now, when the guards where the most sleepy. A perfect time and a perfect night for an ambush: a fragile alliance between Iwa and Konoha shinobi against an army of samurai, shinobi and everything else the mafia would throw at them.

Maybe it was the years of trained professionalism or just his character or simply both, but Kakashi was calm and focused while following the nearly invisible shadows of the Ino-Shika-Cho-Trio, despite what was at stake, despite his fear, that he might not know enough about Genma to help him to get rid of the anchor seals, despite his fear, his genius, on which everyone placed their hopes, would not be enough to get rid of the seal- the only way to save Genma. 

With Kurenai it took weeks back then and Asuma’s help, even Kaitou needed a while to solve everything on his own, but today they’d have only minutes... And apart from the fact he knew so much about the other’s sex-style, he had to admit, that he knew little to nothing about what made the other tick. What made one of Konoha’s most efficient _seduction experts_ tick. Even his therapist had mentioned, that Genma was good with coping, though there was a lot others would consider traumatic which the Tokujou didn’t... Was it even possible to remove the seal when even the experienced woman hadn’t been able to get past Genma’s guarding walls?

Aoba had mentioned, that it was always trouble with the hot guys. Yes, the situation was far too complex to be described as uncomplicated. 

Conversations were tense and limited to a short exchange of ideas with Shikaku, Gai, Tsunade and sometimes Chouza, who read Genma’s files or knew him better than Kakashi. The rest of the group stayed mostly silent, tense in the face of battle.

A great many of possibilities, a great many of things that could go wrong, a great many possible casualties.

This was a war. He shouldn’t have let Genma out of his eyes on that last mission. Now everything was at stake because of that stupid mistake, miscalculation. 

There was even a possible new war between Iwa and Konoha, maybe even Hoshigakure, if things went downhill.

Yes, even when darkest, it could always get worse.

Officially it was a diplomatic mission to support Iwa with their quarrel - or rather fight for dominance - with the Yamaguji Group. Since at least the last great ninja war and their experiences with the ‚yellow flash‘, Iwa was more than distrustful when it came to leaf shinobi. It was only Shikaku’s reputation and his negotiation skills, that made this delicate contact possible. Konoha gave its support and acknowledged Iwa’s condition to deal with Red personally, because they also wanted to stop the spreading of the Sōsu, that had proven to be a deadly new drug on the market - either for those trying to use it or those who were actually able to combine the charged mineral’s chakra with their own, and only if possible, they would save their comrade along, or end his ability to charge the Sōsu in any other way.

On any normal day, Kakashi would have wiped the floor with Genma, not without effort, but at least without wasting much time, as he had done during the Taijutsu training sessions. Strictly speaking, almost every one among their troops had individual abilities which theoretically meant that they could defeat Genma in duels or in power levels. 

_But:_

Genma was used to fighting stronger opponents and cornering them with his experience, adaptability, flexibility and viciousness. And he was one of their own. They had to catch him without harming him if possible - which did not apply to the senbon specialist. He was a powerful and unpredictable weapon in the hand of the enemy. And his abilities with the damn mineral more than made up for any difference in power level, even though Tsunade claimed that the tokujou couldn‘t use it as freely as before without harming himself.  
If Konoha didn’t succeed, Iwa made clear they’d take care of Genma themselves. 

Suddenly, Raidou appeared between the trees to guide them to the camp.

They had arrived.

*~*~*

Crouched figures of many shinobi surrounded jounin commander Shikaku Nara with respectful distance, Konoha and Iwa shinobi alike, and listened to Raidou calmly describing their enemy’s defenses. 

„The palisade surrounding the fort is reinforced by chakra-veins. It’s a jutsu enhanced by Sōsu, no doubt, but it’s a special kind of Sōsu: It‘s not orange, it’s black. We’ve only seen Genma using it so far, so we think he’s responsible for its creation.

The reinforcement however was done by one of the other shinobi under Red’s command. It’s his jutsu, strengthened by Sōsu. The protective effect was tested three days ago - they used cannonballs but couldn’t damage it. It also powers a barrier net, that secures the airspace. They are currently testing out other fields of application for that enhancement-jutsu like armors and weapons. This might get ugly. 

We haven’t seen Genma since he entered alongside Red and Ashita and six shinobi guards, but we know they use him to charge what minerals are left, to equip every shinobi on their side, good thing, Genma already destroyed so many and also the mine in Yorokobi. About fifty people are currently inside the fortress, two companies with in each case 250 soldiers set up camp on the field behind the fortress. The only souls that are getting in or out of that fortress are either using the gate or are messenger birds.“ Raidou’s voice didn’t betray even a hint of the sorrow he must feel for his best friend’s well-being. Calmly he presented what he, Tenzou and Aoba had found out the past days. „Iwa intercepted every messenger bird.“ 

Kakashi cast a glance at the ugly bird sitting on one of the Iwa nins shoulders. A small monstrosity, fast but strong, a perfect air predator and one of the dark creatures living in the highest mountains of Earth Country. 

„That’s why we know that two companies are still on their way. One is led by general Fang, a well known strategist of Tea Country. He is known to use shinobi to his best advantage and will arrive here in two days. They should have arrived here today, but unfortunate circumstances slowed down their pace considerately.“ A small smile played Raidou’s mouth and Kakashi knew, it was Tenzou, sabotaging the back-up’s arrival. The intel his comrades had gathered not only spoke of precise observation skills, the clever use of Aoba’s birds and that Iwa monster bird, but also of infiltration and sabotage-the sneaky ninja ways. Of course they were good. 

Shikaku nodded appreciatively. „What kind of jutsus Genma can use now?“

„He was seen to spit senbon made of Sōsu and also creating a not really elaborate but working version of a protective barrier consisting of Sōsu. Also the Sōsu-laserlike-jutsu everyone seems to be able to use who’s in possession a charged mineral.“

Shikaku nodded. „That’s a little unsettling.“

„Now, while they are still gathering their forces, might be the best opportunity to strike. We just need a way past the palisade.“

Shikaku turned toward the Iwa delegation.

Taking the hint, Yuya, the spindly young man with an interesting undercut and piercing blue eyes started to speak. „Well, it’s time to end the Yamaguji-matter, no matter how. But there is one thing you don’t know yet about that _other_ Sōsu. Take a look at this.“ From somewhere out of his pouch he retrieved a small medallion with a cased black mineral. 

Shikaku lifted an eyebrow at the careless action: the mineral was touching the young man’s hand and slightly pulsating. „It’s the new kind of Sōsu, very interesting in its unparalleled corruptness. Also, as your man already mentioned, it doesn’t shine orange but black and its powers seem to be more concentrated. Though many who use it seem to succump to... dark thoughts.“ He smiled. „But of course only lesser beings. We named it Black Sōsu. This is what we’ll have to deal with on this operation, too. And about the palisade: leave it to us.“

Shikaku nodded, adjusting their plan in his mind to the new information. „Okay. Here’s what I suggest we do.“

~*~*~

The faint pulsating of the jutsu enhancing the palisade send an unsettling shimmer through the darkness of the night, almost like a heartbeat.

Except for the occasional call of an owl or the rustling of a mouse it was quiet. Every dark clad shinobi scurrying silently the nightly forest had their chakra suppressed and advanced with enough caution not even animals felt disturbed. 

Kakashi took a look at the Iwa kunoichi to his right, who grimly returned it with barely hidden bloodlust. It would have been intimidating if not for the wild black hair standing in every direction and the grotesque amount of twigs and leaves caught in it. Her partner looked the same. Kakashi dubbed them the ‚Mocha-Mocha-Twins‘.

On his left were Raidou and some other leaf shinobi. When they reached the end of the forest, everyone stopped. Lurking. Waiting.

Kakashi looked at Raidou. He was wrapped in his black cape, the black sword, Kokutō, resting well hidden in his scabbard at his hip, coated in one of Shizune’s tinctures. He seemed tense, but concentrated. He would play an important role, professional and highly focused, loyal to the end, and Genma's best friend.

The Iwa-Konuichi next to Kakashi cracked excitedly with her knuckles, a sound that carried clearly through the silence of the night. Not very professional. A typical powerhouse without the important restraint and patience. An uncertainty factor that might have already betrayed their presence. 

Shikaku appeared from the shadows and everyone waited for his signal. Aoba's bird rushed above their heads and out into the night, the animal's sight directly connected to the eyes of Special Jounin at Shikaku's side. A few moments of tense waiting passed, then Aoba nodded. Shikaku returned the nod and gave the signal.

~*~*~

The air was cooling down considerably and moisture was climbing over the plain and toward the fort. Like an icy hand, frost started to cover the mineral veins of the palisades and hardened, blasting small holes into them.

The Iwa-kunoichi performed a complex set of hand signs and let a breathtakingly large stream of hot stones, almost like lava, crawl toward the palisades, driven and fueled by a combination of earth and wind jutsu from her partner, who at the same time manipulated the earth and rocks in such a way that the lava flow became stronger and bigger. As soon as the jutsu made contact, the wooden palisades began to steam and melt, even eating through the Sōsu.

Responding to this clearly visible attack, a group of Iwa shinobi dropped the nearby rock face on the left side of the fort and pushed the palisade fence through the sheer force of the tons of debris in such a way that the fence bent inwards and the air-protective grating, which was pulled down with it, destroyed several buildings. In addition, several bags were thrown over the chakra net, which still protected the airspace from foreign chakra, and were made to explode in the air with special kunais. The bonfire, which worked without jutsu but only with chemicals, spread like an explosion and rained down on roofs, buildings and people-the first attack left a scene of utter chaos and destruction.

Alarm calls rang out from many places at the same time, got mixed up in shouting, and several soldiers and ninja stormed the battlements to defend them against the enemy shinobi.

Phase 1: Create complete chaos and delay the formation of the enemies until a passageway was created - complete success.

Shikaku wasn’t known to mess around in his planning.

Orange light illuminated the night in several places and exposed countless Iwa shinobi on their way to the palisades. Before a guard could give the big horn signal to alarm the armies further away, Shikaku's signal for the second wave was given and then an Iwa shinobi near Kakashi stretched his longbow and a chakra-enhanced arrow buzzed through the night, striking the guard and throwing him off the wall with the enormous force. More arrows followed, picking one guard after another from the battlement until they finally took cover. Now several smoke bombs exploded on the ground before the palisade and a group of Iwa shinobi sank into the ground, another scurried shadow-like towards the breach, followed by two Konoha shinobi-the direct attack began.

Hand grenades of the enemy followed in random patterns, slowing the attack by two seconds, but smoke and fog hid their advances successfully. Even when one of the defenders cast a windjutsu, it was already too late: was no trace of the attackers. The time had already been enough-they were already inside.

Kakashi and Raidou, the third wave, hid in the shadow of the palisade's battlements. 

Their vanguard was engaged in combat and wreaked havoc, Anko being the loudest among them - but the enemy started to reassemble. Shikaku's plan had worked almost frighteningly well. Simple, because anything complicated could fail too easily, but efficient. So far so good. Now it shouldn’t take long before-

The air shattered in an earth shakening thunder and with a single blow so much oxygen was absorbed that Kakashi almost lost his balance and was caught in the maelstrom of the suddenly appearing black and orange wall of fire by a hair’s breath.

In front of his wide open eyes he could see how clearly the end of a few of his hairs, evaporating due to the heat.

Raidou pulled him back and to safety.

The blazing wall of fire not only broke through the night and the already heavily damaged palisade, but also through the lava flow of the Mocha-Mocha-Twins, casting it away. Debris flew around and Raidou and Kakashi were hurled from their collapsing hiding place. The copy-nin managed to land gracefully in the cover of some debris, Raidou unrolled skillfully into a crouching position beside him. One glance was enough to discover the blood running down the special jounin's right temple, but with a quick gesture the brown-haired man signalled that he was otherwise okay. So they turned to the source of the Sōsu attack and Kakashi cursed inwardly.

Finger signs were already performing another jutsu and a barrage of senbon hailed like orange glowing bullets through the air in such speed and intensity that they effortlessly pierced house walls and the palisade and also their hiding spot. Several cries of pain were announced by injured or dying shinobi on the battlefield.

The copy ninja had just about managed to pull Raidou out of the steel hail by pressing the other flatly to the ground. Gratefully, the other nodded to him. 

That was a close call! _Too_ close!

Fuck, they'd almost died several times the second Genma had entered the battlefield!

The sheer raw power of that Black Sōsu was devastating!

And the originator of the attacks didn’t slow down at all. Kakashi would have expected a dull, frozen or puppet-like expression, but it was just the opposite! Fierce eyes took in the situation, searching and analyzing, his honey-blond, messily tied hair dark in the early morning dawn. It was the same expression Genma wore when facing the enemy ready to kill.

The black trousers he wore were accompanied by a belt with the emblem of the Yamaguchi, that even someone as uninterested in fashion as Kakashi couldn’t help but describe as shockingly ugly, and a strange shoulder armor. Thus, the view to the eerie black welts that embraced his ever alluring, naked torso like hands was unimpeded. Black Sōsu was emblazoned in the middle of a new collar around his smooth neck, the dark pulsating light slowly dying down, both wrists adorned with elegant silver bonds with orange colored Sōsu, which constantly glowed. 

Power, complete calmness in a crisis: _danger._

Nobody should have the right to look so hot as the bad guy! 

Kakashi gritted his teeth-this would be an especially hard battle for him. A naturally radiating sexiness Genma on a warpath was bad enough, but in this condition, without any scruples about killing his old comrades who, in turn, only wanted to hurt him in an emergency.... 

With his first counterattack he had injured or disabled about one third of the attackers! Under no circumstances should they let him continue at this rate.

Genma’s gaze flickered to a spot outside the fortress.

Kakashi quickly looked back and discovered the female of the Mocha-Mocha-Twins, bleeding and angry, weaving a new jutsu, while her partner was crouched behind her, obviously severely injured. Was Kakashi mad, or were the man's legs only charred and much too short remains? He knew immediately, that Tsunade was already on her way to them...

"Shit!", Kakashi cursed and in the blink of an eye one of his wired kunai wrapped itself around one of the wrecked, blackened beams of the palisade corridor above them and with a strong jerk the construction broke apart and several Yamaguchi soldiers tumbled right into Genma's attack path.

_/"He's acting under orders. Use them against him." //_\- Shikaku had told him, and Kakashi had his own suspicions about the nature of these orders. When Genma halted the preparations for his attack to focus his attention on a single senbon attack of that was able to get past the Yamaguchi soldiers without killing them, Kakashi knew his theory was right. Unfortunately for the kunoichi, the senbon still found its target in her chest.

Genma would crush the enemy, but not 'his own‘ people

After that, Genma's eyes flickered over to their hiding place.

_Now!_ Kakashi and Raidou scattered away, both already performing finger signs and Kakashi attacked Genma directly with a rushing water dragon jutsu.

"Hiraishin no Jutsu!" With a short distance jump, Raidou appeared in Genma's blind spot and attacked the other with the poisoned blade. 

Genma swirled gracefully between the jutsu’s water arms but couldn‘t prevent Raidou's blade from leaving a bloody streak on his cheek.

Raidou immediately repeated the Short Distance Hiraishin, bringing several meters of distance between himself and his best friend, and successfully avoided a kunai strike to his side.

Genma followed him with angry eyes, spat his senbon and jumped with a Hiraishin exactly where Raidou wanted to avoid Genma's attack and blocked Raidou's escape route with a powerful punch to the stomach. 

Grunting, Raidou let himself fall underneath his friend's arm, hooked his foot briefly on the other's ankle and thus unbalanced him. Genma let himself fall too and skillfully turned this movement into a kick. Raidou supported himself with both hands and jumped over the kick, avoiding the danger. Two opponents, who knew better than anyone else about the other’s weaknesses and strengths in a fight. What Raidou had superior in sheer force and his ability to cross further distances by bodyflickering or the Hiraishin, Genma compensated by speed and vicious Sōsu attacks.

And how they fought! They knew each other so well that almost every attack was a hit. With brutality and ruthlessness, elbows, hands, and kicks connected, and so they drove each other on the rubble inside the fortress, on the roofs of houses, between burning rubble, then up the palisade fence, before descending again, when Raidou kicked Genma to the ground. That must have hurt! But Genma made no sound, jumped back onto his feet and slammed his elbow with such force onto the other’s jaw, that the Tokubetsu spat out a bloody molar afterwards.

Kakashi immediately jumped in between to give Raidou breathing space again and attacked Genma himself with a roundhouse kick, that send the other flying into a house wall. 

The sexy bad guy had a bloody mouth now and Kakashi understood, that Genma would fight with a recklessness that was a danger to his body. 

The night light up with several orange Sōsu senbon.

Kakashi avoided the first attacks one by one, and Genma almost accidentally hit the Yamaguji cook, who just happened to run out of a burning building, but at literally the last moment he changed the path of the fire so that only the clothes of the corpulent cook were burned on, but the speechless man himself remained unharmed.

Raidou took advantage of the moment to attack.

At the same time Ashita appeared to support Genma, but Kakashi had only waited for that. Without losing any time, he suddenly appeared in front of the shinobi and let him stare deeply into his sharingan. Stunned, the man immediately succumbed to genjutsu and passed out. "This party is not for you." Kakashi whispered with dark satisfaction.

Kakashi's immediately following attack with an airjutsu brought Genma down completely and pressed him to the ground. A row of senbon, which appeared from a suddenly popping up cloud directly above him, forced him to take cover. But before Raidou was able retreat with another Hiraishin into the safety of the forest, where a seal was waiting for him, prepared for the emergency, Genma's glowing hand quickly struck Raidou's calf like a snake and broke his leg. Then he disintegrated and had disappeared along with Genma's ugly belt.

Kakashi hadn't known Raidou had skilled hands Raidou like that...

Genma rose, wiped the dust from his eyes and at the same time he fought off Anko’s fire-jutsu in passing with his orange glowing hand. Snakes shot out of the ground, ready to grab him, and a low konoha whirlwind threw send them all away uselessly. Genma's footsteps left behind orange flaming footsteps on the ground, when he turned to Anko while simultaneously using a jutsu to sense Raidou’s whereabouts. The jerky turning of his head towards the forest outside the fortress showed that he had located him. Genma made a series of complex hand signals, the black mineral on his collar seemed to pulsate like a beating heart, and sent a sea of orange flames into the forest which almost burned everyone close to Genma as well. 

Kakashi, who had interpreted the jutsu correctly, was barely fast enough to create several earth walls that narrowed the burst of fire a bit on the sides.

Breathing a sigh of relief he discovered the distinct figure of Raidou who jumped around between a few bolted trees and teased Genma with mocking gestures. He also waved the ugly belt. 

One Hiraishin later and the Tokujou was outside the palisades.

_Very good. And just in time!_, Kakashi thought.

The enemy’s reinforcements were approaching and Kakashi pushed himself a little deeper into his hiding place. There was Red, the head of the Yamaguchi group. The angry, heavily scarred man barked orders and reestablished order on the battlefield.

Aoba's birds rushed through the streets and to spread chaos again and Anko's snakes did the same while several Iwa ANBU rushed to Red’s position.

Kakashi had covered Raidou's retreat, and they had effectively separated Genma from the Oyabun and his men. Horn signals announced the advance of the armies and Kakashi knew, that now Iwa’s reinforcements joined the battlefield outside the fortress alongside Chouza and Gai.

The first part of the plan was a success, Genma was out of Red’s reach. Now all they had to do was break the puppet seal. Now... _Fuck_, he had to save Raidou, ...because Genma was about to wipe out his best friend! He chased him through the charred remains of the forest and sent one orange laser beam after the other after his friend, and Kakashi realized in his haste that the other one avoided the attacks rather by instinct than speed. It was only a matter of time... Kakashi was still too far away, but he could see exactly how much strength it cost Raidou to use one Hiraishin after the other. The broken leg seemed to hinder him only slightly, but the adrenaline would soon wear down...

One shot after the other, always a little closer. There, the uniform on the back was already burned away and the skin blackened... _No, Genma! Don't burn Raidou, not him! Damn it, Genma!..._

With a hard kick to the neck, Genma sent Raidou crashing into a small stream and raised one of his Sōsu clad hands. Raidou's black sword shattered the mineral and it fell to the ground in many splinters. But Genma didn‘t need direct contact with the splinters. Even as they fell to the ground, they began glowing...

„No, Genma! It’s me! Raidou!“

Kakashi all but flew through the night but time seemed to slow down... 

_Damn, Genma! You saved the damn cook! Save Raidou, too! Don’t kill you best friend! Don’t.... _

_Sorry, Raidou!_

~~~*~

Lightning flashed down the stream, crossed the distance in no time and hit Raidou and Genma equally.

Raidou’s scream was loud in his ears as Kakashi pushed both of Genma's arms away when he appeared just in time and send his foot flying into Genma's face. Before the Tokujou had time to use any kind jutsu again, Kakashi claimed all attention for himself in a vicious taijutsu fight. Kicking, blocking, hitting, here a feint, dodging, Konoha whirlwind, here an elbow in the kidneys, there a kick close to the ground, quickly some shuriken and kunai and... Damn, you could tell Genma had trained with Gai for years, but he wasn’t the only one, yet the level of adaptability, recklessness and deceitfulness certainly was something else. 

No way he would give Genma enough time to use Sōsu...- A Sōsu snake tore him from his legs, and so he received the necessary momentum for his counter attack, because at the same moment Kakashi's wires, which he had hidden in the ground with the shuriken during the fight, wrapped around Genma and forced him into a kneeling position. 

„Damn, you are a tough to catch, Shiranui!“

~*~*~

The wires tied him to the spot and didn't let him take a step forward, but his mouth was his strongest weapon.

Orange shining senbon flew through the air and hit the shinobi with such force that they came out on the other side of his body. Instead of falling, the body deflated in a small cloud and a charred tree stump fell to the ground instead. Genma paused and suddenly a woman stood before him. Roots grew rapidly out of the ground, entwined his legs in addition to the wires, finally turning into a tree and tying him up. He looked up and saw the woman directly above him staring down at him from the tree trunk. Yuuhi Kurenai. She said something, but he didn’t understand a word. It didn't matter. Her genjutsu was unimportant. He had Sōsu. Orange fire started burning through the tree and his arms were almost free again.

Before he could add a "Kai" to end the strong genjutsu, a shadow technique tied his hands, a Nara attack, very strong!, and Inoichi Yamananka stepped in front of him, put one hand on his forehead and tried to penetrate his mind. But crystal walls of Sōsu formed a dangerous and hard protective wall, surrounded by a poisonously steaming tar pit from which black arms shooting out. Inoichi had to retreat and Genma was alone again with Kurenai. "Ka-!". Before he could break genjutsu, a fist hit him in the pit of his stomach. The scarred man, Raidou, was back, fierce and determined, bloody. Then he felt the paralyzing effect of a poison - probably from the earlier sword attack of this man.

Every movement became heavier and heavier. Yet he fought against it with everything he had - automatically. New shadows entwined him like black ribbons and Raidou's cool sword pressed threateningly against his throat.

Everything dipped into blackness. But there was a young Michirou standing in front of him, her back turned, her hands thoughtfully crossed behind her back and her gaze turned to the dark sky - just like when he had seen her again in the arena after his first capture. 

A trick. A Yamanaka trick. A mental image of the dead Michirou rushed through Genma's mind and burned Inoichi's efforts away. Orange flames chased away the shadows around his hands, and he could sense his allies, his master, slowly approaching...

Another hand put itself on Inoichi's shoulder.

Walls with dog's faces shot up around them, shutting out the world and the fighting, everything became silent and suddenly Michirou's image faded and Kakashi stood before him. 

The sharingan spiraled, and both of them plunged into another world in this world... Another genjutsu.  
Faces, voices-fading away without being heard.

They were thoughts and memories. 

His own...? Someone else's? 

+~++++

Chapter 24

Kakashi slowly opened his eyes.

Inoichi nodded grimly at him. Both were floating in an infinite black emptiness - this was Genma's mindscape, and there was nothing here.

Alone, Kakashi would never find his way around here, but Inoichi did. "It's dangerous. But... Shiranui Genma's mind is actually a fun place... My jutsu is active and we'll see and experience a lot of things that are considered private. Try not to think of anything or anyone except what might help us, just let it happen until we find the place Raidou mentioned. Otherwise, Genma's defense mechanisms will detect us easier and try to get us out or worse. And don't worry about time - everything happens in the speed of a thought."

He was performing a jutsu and two more Inoichis appeared next to him - _mind clones?!_

With a tight grip, the experienced veteran grabbed him by the collar of his uniform and suddenly they rushed over Genma's suddenly arising mental protective walls at an insane speed. Tarry tendrils from nowhere followed them furiously, splitting, growing more and more and faster and faster, and Inoichi skillfully dodged them and tore Kakashi further with him through the vast darkness, deeper into Genma's mind. 

"How will we find help to break the puppet se-?" 

Even before Kakashi had finished the sentence, the tall ghost of a woman in a kimono suddenly appeared before them. Somewhat more beautiful than in reality, nonetheless of tremendous elegance: Kōmyō-Sensei.

Inoichi snorted. "Don't tell Chouza our guide wasn't him."

Kōmyō-sensei smiled knowingly as her hand closed around them.

__________

_Genma knelt on the floor next to three women and one man while Kōmyō-Sensei poured five cups of tea in front of them. Then she sat back on her heels and hey eyes met Genma’s._

_"Why are you here?"_

_"I... You asked me, Kōmyō-sensei._

_"I gave you a choice and you chose to be here. So why _are_ you here, Genma Shiranui?"_

_“... I think I can help Konoha this way. Like my mother did before me."_

_A quickly hidden emotion flashed in her eye. Then she shook her head gently. "Ts. Bargaining, huh! You completed your last mission in Bear Country, but then you were captured by your employer, who turned out to be the mafia, ou were saved by Iwa shinobi and jounin commander Shikaku Nara had to go to that length of a hostage exchange to free you again. You lost your face in front of your superiors, endangered your comrades and most likely something happened on this mission, which shook you to your core and therefore you can't go on like this anymore. You, young man, are in the middle of the five stages of grief and you are jumping back and forth between denial, anger, bargaining and probably depression. _That_ is why you are here. And you are probably looking for some sort of redemption.“_

_Genma was speechless. "You read my file?"_

_"And your body language. Even though I'm good at reading between the lines, you just confirmed everything. There is a lot to learn, but I think you'll do fine here. Like the rest of you. Most of you are trying to escape your past and start something new here. That's fine, but not why I asked you to be here today. I chose you because you have three attributes: you have charisma, don’t fall in love quickly and already have a healthy libido.“_

_Stressed, Genma reached for his tea and took a sip. It tasted soothing._

_"Most people think of sex when they hear about a seduction mission“, Kōmyō-Sensei continued, and Genma easily fell to her captivating way of speaking, glued to every word of her speech. „But to really become an expert in seduction, you need much more than skill in bed. By the way, statistically speaken, the average intercourse lasts about five minutes. More or less five minutes of mind blowing sex, yes. So the question is: what do you do the rest of the time? And how will you get there?_

_“Not every target will want the same from you, not every target needs the same from you. If you haven't already learned it, you will learn with me to interpret the body language of a target, to find out the basics for a psychological profile, research, questions about wishes, fears and worries. The human being is above all one thing: a social being. If someone wants loneliness, there are reasons for it. You have to find out about them in order to get close to someone like that. But many people seek closeness and confirmation. The greatest enhancer of human action is affection. In which form you will give this affection to the target or even deny it is your own decision and, therefore, your life. You have good instincts, but we will refine them. You will have to keep your own desires and concerns as flexible as you will have to keep your whole life from now on: you will not play at fulfilling those desires and wishes - don’t act your role, _become_ your role. Your life depends on your persuasiveness. _

_Sometimes it will be easy, especially if the target is a bad guy, though these missions are straining and especially dangerous, but sometimes the targets are the good guys.  
Some want power, want to dominate you, break you, even torture you. Some want adventure, fun, physical pleasures. Some want love, affection, validation. Some just want to be held in your arms. Yes, don’t look at me like that: sometimes, all you need to do is take someone into your arms._

_Here’s an example: I allowed an insecure guy on a crucial night to be held in my arms and let him suck on my nipples until he calmly fell asleep. That was all he wanted, that was all he needed. He didn't know it himself, but the longing for his mother was so great that he just wanted to be held in his arms to be able to take the rest for an important decision the next day. Well, said insecure man was the Daimyo of the Marsh Country, and a war with the Swamp Country could be prevented just because of that night._

_We are many things. We are mother, father, sister and brother,a friend. And we are lovers, prostitutes, counselors, muse, artists, attainable temptation, ally, traitor, spy, murderer and more. It is your adaptiveness in each situation that will decide your life. _Adaptiveness is everything!_ This might mean years of undercover work or just one night. You may have so many names and faces that you will lose sight of what makes you who you are, what your desires are, your _own_ desires. And it is also no longer important. What is important is that you fulfill your mission. No matter how. _

_Rule number one: Never fall in love with a target. You will betray them, play with their emotions, manipulate them, and in some cases, kill them. There are shinobi who will not be defeated in a direct fight, but in intimate moments, be it hugging, sleeping next to you or sex, because then it is almost impossible to keep their guard up. That is why you learn how to gain someone's trust._

_This will also be the reason why you shouldn't be telling many people in Konoha what exactly it is that you do. People will mistrust you because they know whether you are chuunin or special jounin, that you have the ability to cause tremendous joy while bringing even the strongest shinobi to his knees. Shinobi will be afraid of you, because you're able to recognize their weaknesses and desires, and even if not, some of them will at least think you do. You will probably lose a few friends over the next few years." She laughed, but it didn’t sound apologetically._

_„Moreover, betrayal is considered one of the worst things, even among shinobi. Don’t expect a happy end for yourself-or gratitude._

_"Rule number two: No sex with friends. ... I'm just kidding. You'll see we can have a similar healing touch as a Medi Nin. Helping friends in need can also mean using your skills. And don't even think that you will be able to separate when you are yourself and when you use these abilities - they will become an inseparable part of yourself. _

_"Yes, it will take years of training-except for talent almost nothing beats experience. Yes, you will still go on normal missions and in Genma’s case guard the Hokage.  
You don't have to be perfect at anything, but you have to be good at many things. Arouse interest. Awake pity. Awake enthusiasm. Awake passion. And then a word here, an acknowledging, confirming gesture there, and oh the power of an honest, sincere smile... And the honest, sincere smile will help you even when you encounter the most disgusting fetishes. And even if you think you are prepared for everything, there will always be surprises. But the most important thing will always be: to fulfill the mission. Fulfill the mission. _

_And speaking of betrayal, I poisoned your tea. You have 72 hours to figure out why I'm doing this job and train you beautiful, misguided people to become like me, or your kidneys will fail." She gracefully rose to her feet. "That’s all for today, I'll see you tomorrow."_

__________

Kōmyō-Sensei winked at a slightly horrified Kakashi and then gave Inoichi a playful, almost knowing smile, before she pointed to the left with an elegant gesture and disappeared.

Sources of light appeared, spheres in which faces were recognizable, voices rang out... ...and suddenly they were right in the middle of it. In a split second, Kakashi understood entire segments memories.

"I fear that’s still not enough. But we reached the memory-bubbles, he must be here somewhere. He has a natural aversion towards me. Try not to think about anything specific from now on," Inoichi whispered and the landscape changed again as this sentence was also the beginning of the new memory.

Kakashi saw through Genma's eyes as a younger Yamanaka Inoichi looked at the young members of the Goei Shotai and explained with a smile that there was hardly a place in the mind of a human being that could be protected from an expert. Then he snapped his finger and the three young shinobi blinked in confusion as they realized that their surroundings suddenly looked very different.

_"That was a genujutsu?," Iwashi and Inoichi smirked. _

_"There are so many ways to tamper with a person's mind."_

_Kakashi could feel Genma's uneasiness and the short look he shared with Raidou._

_"I'll teach you how to repel mental attacks of level one and two-if you are talented in that area, level three might be possible too."_

_"What happens if a level three shinobi attacks us?“ Iwashi drawled._

_"Then you'll need help from someone else - good thing you're a team, even though I fooled all three of you with that genjutsu a minute ago. Every Yamanaka in Konoha is trained to reach at least level three, so you better watch out," the blond man chuckled._

_Iwashi shivered. "I hope no Yamanaka will ever defect. What level are you at, Inoichi-sama?"_

_"Five."_

_"Damn."_

_/All Yamanaka are creeps! / Genma thought, scared shitless._  
__________

Kakashi allowed himself a grin behind his mask. So Genma and Inoichi _had_ history?

__________

He saw through Genma's eyes how a much older Inoichi watched him coolly as he walked past in front of the flower shop, and Kakashi knew how Genma's stomach contracted painfully at the memory of the Yamanaka girl, Sachiko, who had been tortured and died during his training on the island in Ame. He felt the shame and anger Genma felt at that moment, and the pain of his own wounds under the bandages. 

_An ANBU suddenly appeared before him and Genma was terrified. /Damn you, Tenzou!/_

__

__

"The Hokage wants to see you."

"I am on medical leave."

"It's about Gosaburo."

Genma couldn‘t suppress a wince and the sudden, probably imaginary taste of bile on his tongue. /The mission comes first!/ Instead of arguing, he fought his own reluctance and buried it under the picture of the Yamanaka-girl, who in their last moments looked pleadingly at the eyes. The mission always comes first!

"Raidou will be there, and so will be Gyobue and Kakashi-senpai."

_Genma nodded and mentally shrugged off anything that could cloud a clear mind. "I am ready."_  
__________

This time Inoichi's face actually did look shocked, and he understood that the two shinobi must have had a serious dispute after Sachiko’s death. But at that moment, the deep gap between the two seemed to become increasingly narrow.

Kakashi had now understood that the memories they saw here were caused and influenced by their presence. It could only be a matter of...

A moan.

He swallowed. Oh no! Another moan, and the slap of flesh against flesh. Right. There they were. Memories of Kakashi. And they spent a lot of time with... ...yes.  
__________

It was almost overwhelming how much Genma enjoyed it when Kakashi's cock again and again pushed into him from behind, while at the same time he clasped the belly of Kakashi's clone, who was currently sitting on the windowsill directly before the man. Genma's cheek was nestled against the clone's abdominal muscles like on a hard, incredibly attractive pillow, and the seduction expert was a disintegrating, blissful, gibbering something that grabbed the clone’s waist as if his life depended on it.

__________  
Oh please... Now there was no secret left in front of the Yamanaka... Oh - stop _thinking_, Kakashi!  
__________

_"So that's how we look," Genma drawled. Through his eyes, Kakashi saw himself sitting on Genma's clone and... Yes._

__

__

When his other self started to move, Genma became agitated. "Not yet, not yet. We don't want to risk hemorrhoids on that beautiful ass."

"That really, really, _really_ doesn't sound as sexy as you might think."

"Good anal sex depends a lot on a good technique. More lube? Don't start moving too early. It‘s my responsibility to honor and save this potential hokage butt for the sake of Konoha’s future."

"Stop, just... Really, stop."

_Genma came closer and nibbled Kakashi's neck. "If you become Hokage, I promise to make some of your office fantasies come true... We could use a Hiraishin-Seal so no one would notice when I appear under that desk and directly between your knees..."_  
__________

Inoichi's eyebrow shot up and Kakashi allowed himself an embarrassed chuckle. So much for secret plans... 

The Yamanaka obviously didn't know that their relationship wasn’t only that of ANBU teammates, but he didn't betray his feelings and Kakashi was grateful for the professionalism. Someone like Inoichi must have seen tons of highly private things... Yes, the Yamanakas were all scary.

And of course... Diving into Genma's head was the most dangerous place for improper boners Kakashi could have ever entered... Damn that sexy man who gave him a hard time even when he was trying to save the bastard’s ass... How could he get rid of an erection when he was just a mental projection of his mind into someone else's mind?!

Suddenly a neon sign appeared in front of them with an arrow pointing to the left: "Yamanakas this way, trespassing only for friends and citizens of Konoha - except Yamanakas!".

Kakashi blinked and Inoichi smiled. "Funny."

He dodged another attack by a black tar arm, and Kakashi could only nod at the dry humor. 

The warnings grew bigger: "Seriously, Yamanaka, fuck off!" Now there was even a kind of fog, and Kakashi accidentally bumped him with his trouser leg, where the material immediately crumbled away... Acid fog... Damn it! What else was to come?

And then Kakashi could see it. A glass dome, big, much bigger than the small memory spheres they'd encountered before. Big, bright, and he knew this was where Genma would be found. This is where he would be - together with the two unknown things that anchored the puppet seal. The glass dome, where one was reduced to be a mere visitor to everything. Kurenai had described it: Watching as if behind a glass ball, a glass prison, while someone else took complete control of the body...

"I can't go any further," Inoichi suddenly exclaimed, "there's your entrance.

Again Kakashi blinked in confusion, but Inoichi was damn right. There were small round openings on the glass ball with names written on them. Michirou, for example. Even Gai had an acrobatic-looking entrance.  
Inoichi hurled him forcefully forward, waved, then the black tar arms caught up with him, entangled him and tore him away.

"Inoichi!" But Kakashi's echo went unheard. 

The glass dome came towards him at tremendous speed - Inoichi had thrown him exactly where there was a small circular opening above the "Hatake. Preferably Kakashi" was written.

Yes. Genma was indeed absolutely unguarded concerning his friends.

Kakashi allowed himself a lopsided grin, finally understanding, what Inoichi's words meant. Genma's mind indeed could be a fun place. May the darkness behind that glass dome not be the last thing he would see on earth. 

Then he was inside, standing on an empty veranda, a steaming cup of tea next to a stuffed animal, in the light of the setting sun. A stone garden with a red paper windmill... The Namiashi stone garden. And it was almost completely swallowed by the malicious blackness that was the Black Sōsu. Slowly but steadily the blackness worked its way to Kakashi like a cancer, and he knew that all the fun was gone-he didn’t possess a weapon to use against the Black Sōsu and not the slightest idea how to get out of here.

Following his instinct, he turned around and saw a young Genma of about 15 years standing on the veranda. 

"What are you doing here?"

*~*~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ______________________________________________________________________  
Too long? Boring? Too crazy? Or just crazy enough? If you like, tell me what you think.
> 
> My mind kept giving me all these fancy fight scenes while listening to the dark battle themes of the Naruto OST and I couldn’t stop myself - I just LOVE action!
> 
> And about the crazy-flashback-lane... welllllll.... I have no idea what possessed me there.... ahahaha... Except Kōmyō’s speech everything else is probably unnecessary... but... I had a lot of fun writing it. :P
> 
> Kōmyō's words are based on a documentary, a conversation with someone who told me a thing or two about the matter too, the little I know of Mata Hari and my own thoughts about spying through the bedsheets.
> 
> The last chapter with the epilogue should be out in the next days and then that's enough tormenting the public with my poor english skills! ;)
> 
> I admit I only wrote the story as a shameless way to cope with my shitty work-situation. I really fought back and everything looked as if it would turn out good until... Corona. Yeah. And the years of struggling suddenly seem unimportant. It's not a hurtful epiphany, it's just a realisation of where I should put my priorities from now on-and it isn't work. :))))


	25. Chapter 25 and Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For chapters 23 till epilogue, I came up with three complete and different versions and it wasn‘t easy to decide which one would be best: the good, the bad or the somewhere-between ending. I hope I made the right choice - I blame it all on Max Richter’s beautiful music: Never goodbye, "The ferry - The Ring OST" and "Oogway ascends - Kung Fu Panda" . :P

Chapter 25

_„What are _you_ doing here?“_

"I'm here because you need help."

"Tsk. Already too late for that. And aren't you the one who needs help?" With that, young Genma turned around and disappeared into the shady entrance of the Namiashi house.

With a deep frown, Kakashi looked after him, then suddenly a lot of tar tendrils shot out of the corners and niches, and he barely managed to escape into the house.

However, it was no longer a house. Instead, he was suddenly on a grassy plain. He identified the mountains in the distance and concluded, they were nearby the border to Iwa - in Bear Country. He didn't know the place personally, but he knew with a sudden clarity, that this was the grassy plain where Genma had apparently killed his sister. This was Genma's last bastion, it was a grave, the only thing left of the tokujou's sanctuary, the only place he defended adamantly against the black tar - whatever the black substance was. 

Fifteen year old Genma sat on a peach tree and silently watched him with hanging shoulders. He seemed... depressed.

"Are you alone here?" Kakashi asked and the boy looked at a spot behind the copy ninja.

With an uneasy feeling, Kakashi turned around and saw Genma standing about 50 meters away-Genma as he looked now, in the uniform of a special jounin, standing with his back to them. The reason for this was, that he was turned towards something Kakashi could only describe as a disgusting creature, dripping all over with black tar. ...an ugly monster with arms and legs... _The personification of the black tar?_

Both opponents only stood at arm's length - neither moved, engaged in a silent battle of wills, while the grass island was surrounded by a black sea of tar, steaming menacingly, sloshing back and forth like a shallow surf, and Kakashi felt a stab in his chest.

"Keeps the scum at bay," younger Genma commented, huddled on the branch of the peach tree, knees drawn to his chest like a child. "Hears nothing, speaks nothing unless Red-Sama orders it. Yeah. Talk to me if you have to."

Kakashi bit his lower lip and finally scratched the back of his head, sighing. This, of course, complicated things. He hadn’t expected to just show up here and walk out with Genma, but still.

He kept looking around. Only the distant peaks of Iwa‘s majestic snow covered mountains were still towering the black tar sea and only the real Genma prevented this little island from being swallowed up by the tar. Or... ...did he prevent it at all? The two looked frozen and Kakashi knew that Genma wouldn't react to him if he called out for him now. What was adult-Genma doing? Looking what his body was doing on the outside-world? Waiting for Red?

He let his eyes wander back to the peach tree, which he knew didn't belong on this meadow, there were a few bushes here and there and... yes, there were two graves.

"You've buried a few people too," young Genma defended himself when he noticed the look.

"We are shinobi. We all have a few skeletons in the cupboard," Kakashi replied. 

"Gai said, shinobi fight human monsters. I wonder what he will say when he finds out, shinobi are monstrous humans."

"Hm. That might be true. But not for Gai or some other shinobi I know. Do you know a monstrous human, Genma?"

A click of the senbon against teeth. "Standing back there, dripping nasty black substance everywhere." 

Okay, dead end. So Kakashi gestured to the graves. The name on the newest one was a little fuzzy and the grave was translucent and ghostly.

"Kōmyō-Sensei", read Genma for him. "Who is this person?" Kakashi pretended not to be surprised that gloomy Genma suddenly appeared next to him. 

"Someone who will be very important to you in a few years. Your... ...guide."

"Important and buried? Chouza-sama is important to me. But Shikaku-sama just does things without asking sensei."

"What do you mean?"

Genma shrugged. "He simply asked Raidou, Iwashi, and me to go on a mission to the Land of Bears. Said no one else could do it, said we had baby faces even if we’d dress rugged. And with the Hiraishin, we'd probably be back in no time. So Chouza is not as important as everyone says.“ It sounded disappointed.

"What happened on the mission, Genma?"

The boy looked up and Kakashi knew he'd give up the answer, almost bursting with the weigh to finally tell everything to someone he trusted. Suddenly, black vines shot up from the ground, tearing Kakashi away from the boy, wrapping themselves around his arms, legs and neck to effectively immobilize him.

An angry third Genma appeared, older than little Genma, 19 years old to be exact. "What are you doing here? Fuck off, Hatake!"

Kakashi waggled his hands, indicating, that it was impossible to do so now.

Angry Genma shortly turned to Depressive Genma, but he was sitting on his tree again, cheek resting on his knee while staring at the beautiful sky.

"What the hell are you doing in my mind, asshole?"

"It would be a lot easier to answer that if you’d call back this stuff," Kakashi tried, while the tendrils formed little tar arms to gradually covered his masked face.

Angry Genma snorted. "I'm not the one who controls this stuff. HE keeps it in check!" With his chin, he pointed accusingly at adult Genma. "It's not my fault he can't stop neither the damn puppet seal nor the Black Sōsu."

"Then we'll all be puppets," Gloomy-Genma commented from his tree. "And then we die. Too bad you'll be here then, Kakashi. Thought you'd end up becoming Hokage or something."

Despite himself, Kakashi snorted. "Don't worry about my future. This stuff can't kill me."

Angry Genma scowled and gritted his white teeth, raw emotion, like an aggressive dog. "You think this is funny, Hatake?" He made a gesture with his arms that included this entire world. "All of this?"

"No. In fact, I think it's tragic. All of this. Your remaining world is based on how you perceive the world, but there are things you’re overlooking."

"And what would that be?" both Genmas asked at the same time, and Kakashi knew that this time, adult Genma was listening as well.

"You are not alone."

Angry Genma cocked his head to the side, eyebrow rises in disbelief. "THAT is your brilliant answer?"

Kakashi nodded to the graves. "Over there in one grave lies someone you buried, in the other grave-"

"In the other grave too, damn it!"

"But you're making a mistake here too."

"What mistake is that, oh wise Kakashi?“

"Kōmyō isn‘t dead.“

Silence.

"You didn't kill her then. She survived. You only burned her kimono, and Tenzou still blushes when someone mentions it."

Genma stood in stunned silence, and even adult Genma rose his head a little.

"This whole place is not just a refuge from your unresolved traumas, it is also pure illusion."

"How dare you call my last resort a lie?" More black vines wrapped around Kakashi, squeezing some private places too.

"Barely out of puberty and already into tentacle sex? Kinky," Kakashi pressed between gritted teeth.

"You asshole! Die!" Yes, he looked as if he wanted to kill Kakashi.

Again the copy ninja surprised the other by laughing instead of screaming.

Genma blinked angrily, disbelievingly. "What kind of charade are you pulling here, Hatake? If you want to make fun of me, you don't have to come here to mock me, HERE of all places!"

"Forgive me. I'm laughing because these... ...tentacles can't kill me."

"Don't talk nonsense. You're completely tied up and if that one over there doesn't watch out, mincemeat!"

Kakashi wiggled one hand free and poked the tip of a black vine out of his face. "I'm serious. I don't think this is the power of the puppet seal at all."

"Then it’s Black Sōsu!"

"Yeah, maybe so. But even the Black Sōsu can't kill me."

"The fuck, Hatake! Quit playing fucking mind games with me!“

"Ah, no, well, it's written on here."

"Huh?"

"Yeah. Read for yourself. There's a note on the end of each vine..."

Incredulous, Genma started reading- from afar- what was written in a fine, well-known handwriting. _Rule number one: Never wish a Konoha citizen harm. Love, Mom._

Hands clenched to fists started trembling. "The fuck... What the...? I don't understand..."

Kakashi looked at adult Genma, searching for a reaction, but he was still staring at the hideous tar monster. He’d have to first solve the riddle at hand. "I don't think anyone is able to control Sōsu to the same extent as you, Genma. But the puppet seal attached itself onto things from your past that you never processed correctly. The Sōsu itself is not bad, it's just a mineral that reacts to your chakra."

Angry Genma snorted with rage. "Are you saying that I myself corrupted the Sōsu and turned it into the Black Sōsu? The very same Black Sōsu that threatens to devour my whole world?“

Kakashi nodded slowly. "I am sure, the Black Sōsu is the creation of your own subconsciousness. It didn't exist before the battle in Yorokobi."

"There is one thing you’re forgetting, Hatake. _Why_ would I do that? Why would I create an ugly monster like _that thing_ over there, that threatens to kill me? Especially, if I am the one with the unlimited abilities? Why can’t I simply snap my fingers and kill it?"

"It was unintentional. I guess, the puppet seal is to blame for this, everything else happened unintentionally. And that's also the reason these vines can't kill me, why you couldn't kill Kōmyō, or Raidou, or anyone else from Konoha by using your chakra.“

Angry Genma gritted his teeth at that, then he smiled gloomily. "But I killed many Iwa shinobi. Or hurt them."

"Your _controlled_ body did that, yes, but not your mind, which has been imprisoned here all along, but is still resisting, resisting everything." Kakashi pointed to adult Genma.

Angry Genma stomped towards the graves. "So this one grave is an illusion and unnecessary, fine. But how do you explain this other grave then? Huh? As an externally controlled accident too?"

Gloomy Genma buried his face on his arm at the new outburst, and the copy nin felt the boy drifting away slowly.

But he wasn’t done yet. The jounin shook his head. "No. The tomb under the peach tree is one of the two memories that are binding the puppet seal to your body. It is real. If you face these memories, the seals will dissolve and you will be free and in control of your body again. That’s all you’ll have to do."

"What do you want me to do now? Tell you about it and then we'll walk out of here hand in hand, laughing at stupid Genma?"

"You're angry."

"Hotshot!"

"You're so angry you can't even look at that second grave."

"Yay, I'm looking." For a moment the brown eyes caught a glimpse at the tombstone. "Happy? And now fuck off! Find your two fucking memories somewhere else."

No progress with a stubborn Genma when he was that angry. _Better try gloomy Genma again. _ The boy’s gaze was directed to the distance and the copy ninja sighed as he finally realized.

"So that's why the mountains are not yet covered by Black Sōsu. They are another tomb, the second memory." At these words, the boy stopped dangling with his legs. The dark eyes turned to Kakashi and met his gaze and Kakashi knew, the boy really, really wanted to finally come clean while hoping not to be condemned as a monstrous human by the people close to him, because he was just a traumatized child haunted by his past-like so many other shinobi their age. After this thought, he was suddenly _there_.

He saw Shikaku approaching Genma and Raidou on the Namiashi veranda to send them off with Iwashi to Bear Country. He saw Raidou, with no visible scars yet, Iwashi and Genma, with their youthful faces, begin to work at the new Daimyo's court. In order not to let any assassins infiltrate, the head of security had been persuaded by the young Daimyo to at least allowe some street children the opportunity to help in the kitchen and with the housework for money, safety and a roof over their heads. And Genma had managed to win the trust of the Daimyo and his wife without difficulty.

They were good people. They both planned which irrigation systems they could use to support the land in order to advance basic care, and the man constantly came up with new ideas and drew new blueprints to help his citizens where his late father had done nothing.

Genma, under the assumed name Jin, soon became more and more involved in the household and occasionally took over the supervision of the happy family's little boy.

It could have ended well for Bear Country if Konoha hadn't received the order from the Daimyo's younger brother to take out the older brother and therefore speed up the succession.

And Genma had delivered.

_The Daimyo didn’t wake up when Genma's poisonous senbon pierced the unprotected skin behind the ear. The breath grew heavier for a moment, wheezing. One last twitch, and he was dead. A fast working poison, without much pain._

_Ninomoya woke up, and her eyes were big and... horrified. She looked shaken to the core._

_"No! Jin! No! _No!_ He _trusted_ you! _I_ trusted you! No! No! You--"_

_The knuckles of his left hand gently stroked her cheek, comforting, while the second senbon nicked her skin._

_Tears spilled from her crystal-blue eyes as she looked at her husband one last time, lips quivering. Full of love. Full of regret, that their shared time had ended. "Why, Jin? He would have saved this country..."_

_Her hand blindly reached out for her husband's. "Darling..."_

_Genma watched as the gaze of her beautiful eyes lost its focus and became dull._

_His first time killing civilians. He knew he should feel something, especially after hearing the accusations, but... there was only a black void. Really. His hands weren’t shaking. Really. He stepped to the foot of the bed and looked at the couple one last time while trying to suppress his emotions, because, really, they shouldn’t _be_ there. But they were. Raging like hot, sluggish tar through his veins. _Breath! Slowly!_ With shaking hands he pulled the ANBU mask off a sweaty face. Ninomoya had recognized him anyway. But now it didn't matter. He had accomplished his mission. And left no witnesses. Time to run to collect the required evidence and meet the client._

_"Why do Mom and Dad look funny, Jin...?"_

~*~*~

"They were good people," murmured gloomy Genma, pale but calm, disappointed, "not the monsters Gai bragged we’d fight as soon as we made chunin."

"Leave him alone!" yelled angry-Genma, stepped between the two, and the tendrils still binding him became uncomfortably tight around Kakashi's body and the copy nin rose his voice:

"Then tell me why you dug this mass grave under the peach tree, Genma. Stop lashing out and try to help him for a change. If you fear I’ll hurt him, then rest assured, you’re already doing that to yourself better than I ever could. Why are you _really_ here? Anger isn’t one of your typical character trades. What happened to you to make you lose your calm? Did you screw up? Did you break any of the rules?" And suddenly, he knew with a sudden clarity that amazed even himself. "You broke _every_ rule, didn't you? Your mother's rules, Kōmyō’s rules..." 

Angry Genma let out a wild, pained cry. Then he exhaled audibly and long before letting himself flop on the grass, anger bleeding out. "I can't tell you. Not you, not Raidou, not anyone else. And yet... ...its nothing too bad, compared to what others endured... You, Tenzou, and... so many others...“ He pointed to adult Genma. "He must have seen a lot more than me, I guess. He endured a lot." 

"I know. But just because you don't think it's not bad compared to others doesn't mean your personal hell is worth less, Genma. You suffer because you judge yourself for it and at the same time you're afraid that others might do the same. Trust me, I am the last person to judge a fellow shinobi."

Genma gulped and looked at the silver haired jounin, pondering over the words. 

"Tell me about the memories, Genma. Tell my, why the puppet seal chose this moment to enslave you."

Genma chuckled, before turning his gaze at Shinju-Genma. "Actually, _he_ made the choice. He chose me, not because what happened was something of the darkest moments in his life, nothing to do with torture, mission failure or anything, but... because my anger, this moment here, because that courage was enough to protect the other memory, to protect my young self sitting on that peach tree over there-from everyone and everything. I am the second memory, the gatekeeper for the first and worst."

"Tell me who were you angry with?"

"...Everyone. Everyone I cared about... I've never been so angry in my life. I am... the sum of the fury of two years..."

Kakashi waited.

"...Yondaime-sama... ...died. I... was so angry that I wasn't there as goei shotai... ...I wasn’t even _there_, he ordered us away. A few months later, mom was sent to Bear Country to infiltrate the Yamaguji group, and disappeared four months later. My sister and my dad all but threw themselves into missions from then on, and I was furious. When Mom was declared killed-in-action, the only one left was Raidou. And... for some reason I told him, with that exact same rage, that I've been studying under Kōmyō-Sensei for two years. I don't know exactly why, but I wanted to offend him. I wanted to hurt him and make him leave. I did everything I knew- I attacked all his weak points and... ...and he still wouldn't leave. He was dating Anko at that time and I interfered, I seduced her, I even lied about it, said, she was a mission, a _test_, just because I wanted to hurt... everyone else. But Raidou... he just hugged me and held me tight... and I attacked him and took a seduction mission from Kōmyō to leave Konoha. And on that mission..."

"...you fell in love with your target."

Angry-Genma snickered disillusioned. "I attacked and hurt my best friend because he hugged me when I needed help, and broke my mom's most important rule, I was hurt and wanted others to feel the same pain. And yes, I fell in love with a target I had to kill two weeks later. Of course she... was one of the good guys, too."

"You were angry, Genma, because things happened that were beyond your control. You were... hurt, angry at everyone because there was nothing you could do. The person you were angriest wasn't Minato, your mom, dad, Raidou or your sister. You were angry at yourself.“

Genma looked to the side. "I know. I was still an asshole."

"Yes. You were."

"A big asshole."

"A wounded asshole who knows what he did wrong. Even to Anko. Even Raidou. You did everything after that not to lose their friendship and it worked. Emotion is something that can sometimes be terrifying. I, um... I understand, I feel that pain too."

"You dealt with it differently."

"Yes, but if growing up in a shinobi village taught me one thing, it is to not blame anyone for how they react to loss. Yondaime, your mom, your family were absent, and you had to kill the person you loved afterwards... while there was no one else to watch after you other than your friends and Kōmyō... But what you did after that time, was really good. You helped a lot of people, you were there for a lot of people, and, let's be honest, Raidou and Anko wouldn't have worked out. It's okay, Genma. Go on."

Genma smiled sadly. "You can have it. The little, calm memory, I mean. Soui."

_"It's a simple mission, shinobi-san. Seduction and assassination. I was told you would be the right one for this job. And as I look at your fiery yet gentle eyes, I think it's true." _

_"Maybe. Who is the target?"_

_"Me."_

...

And Kakashi saw how Genma more and more fell in love with his target, and the closer the day came, the harder everything became. Feelings were complicated. Too complex for an ANBU to even understand. Too wild not to burn with tremendous passion. The holes torn by losses into the soul were patched up, only to be torn open again when the time came. He sat with her until the end, a gentle and clean end with a small poison needle-directly under the branches of the peach tree. 

The vines drained from Kakashi, gently lowered him to the ground, and angry-Genma's outline became translucent, the black puppet seal in his chest visible and pulsing like a heart-beat. 

He smiled down at the young man, then turned to gloomy-Genma, the child. "There's still something left."

Young Genma chewed on his lower lip. "You know what I did. You know I did the job and killed a child. But..."

"...it hurts."

"Yes! Because I can't change it. I wish I could. Undo this one mistake, find a _better_ way to handle the situation... But life is a bitch. I just can't change what I did."

Kakashi deliberately kept his body language relaxed and open. Getting an eyewitness out of the way when the order was not to be seen was often standard procedure. And sometimes those were the situations where a shinobi, even a trained assassin like Genma, hesitated. Because he knew it was wrong. Genma had been a child himself when he had killed another. He had never gotten over not having found a better way out. There was no excuse for it. "What... ...would you have changed if you could?"

"The teddy..."

_The teddy?_

"Whenever I try to recall this memory to face it, this one thing always stops me. The boy only came into the bedroom because I forgot to put his teddy bear in his bed before he went to sleep. I always did it, but that night... ...I thought it didn't matter, because I'd be gone soon. But it did-it mattered.“

Kakashi went up to the boy. "Genma. This is your world. You decide. You know you can't change what you did on a mission, all actions have consequences and you know that too well, but to break the puppet seal, you have to give yourself the chance to face this memory instead of hiding it by any means. If this means you need a teddy bear to do it, then anything is possible here. This is your world."

The boy shook his head. "I don't have the teddy anymore."

The teddy... He’d seen it on the Namiashi-veranda when he entered the glass dome. But Kakashi hadn't taken it with him...

"Is this what you're looking for?"

Surprised, everyone looked at Raidou, who was suddenly standing with the item in question in his big, calloused hands. "Sorry I'm late, but Inoichi-san can only guide one person at a time through this... ...through this maze of memories." He chuckled warmly. „I, uh... I thought you might need this. It didn't belong to our veranda."

Everyone was staring at the teddy bear. And Raidou. Reliable, loyal. A best friend, and Shinju-Genma's lips quivered - exactly like Gloomy Genma's, who jumped down from his peach tree, sniffed once and vigorously, and reached out with trembling hands, only to hesitate. "I really want to go home."

Kakashi, remembering Kōmyō's words about the importance of a hug, tentatively took the boy into his arms. "Yes."

"I'm not just these two traumas - I'm the sum of all my memories. Don't judge me... too - please don't judge me too harshly..."

"We know how you feel too well..."

And before them, a parallel reality unfolds in the mountains of Bear County: two worlds colliding simultaneously. In one, fourteen-year-old Genma killed a four-year-old child, in the other, the same Genma went into the child’s room and put down the cuddly toy for the boy to snuggle with, and he never had a reason to leave his room and surprise Genma. 

Genma's tears were now, finally, after all these years, falling from his eyes. With a tortured outcry he threw himself to the ground and howled loudly and uninhibitedly. Every bottled-up emotion burst out of him and even adult Genma was struggling with his composure.

"I did it... I killed them all... And I helped the wrong guy to become Daimyo of Bear Country, the guy who was funded by the mafia... by the Yamaguji... I helped Red to get that powerful and my mom was sent to investigate and..."

"...Yes and no. You couldn't have known it would come to this."

"Actions have consequences."

"Genma... You couldn't have known. No one could, not even Shikaku. It happened, it can't be changed. We are the sum of our memories, our actions. But there's so much more to life. Don't let it control your whole life like the puppet seal. You are neither a human monster nor a monstrous human. At least no more than the rest of us too. We are shinobi. It's okay to be disgusted by our actions, but if you let guilt cripple you completely, it will only lead to death.  
The final stage of grief, Genma, is acceptance..."

Gloomy-Genma and angry-Genma faded, the two anchor seals clearly and pulsating in their chests, and the siluettes were drawn to the disgusting Black Sōsu monster with which they merged.

Adult-Genma glanced over his shoulder at Kakashi and Genma, and both smiled encouragingly at him. 

"We are still here. We're not leaving even if you want us to," Raidou said.

The Tokujou closed his eyes for a moment and snorted, before opening them again to eye his two pillars. Then he turned to the disgusting tar monster to finally end this world. 

Instead of continuing to fight, attack or destroy the creature, he stretched out his hand, and the monster grabbed it. Black tar, all guilt united, dripped from the creature and underneath it, Genma's exact image appeared. 

Acceptance - of your true self. Some people never reached this state, Kakashi thought with a touch of envy. And what a mean puppet seal, of all the things, to cling onto _that_.

Light began to scare the darkness away.

+~*~*~

When Genma opened his eyes, he was surrounded by konoha shinobi. Kurenai, Inoichi, Shikaku. Some looked at him with clear suspicion, others... ...Others didn't. Directly in front of him stood a Raidou with a face swollen black and blue, and a lazily grinning Kakashi, looking like new.

Genma closed the gap between them and pulled them both into a bear hug. Kakashi protested quietly as Genma slapped him manly on the back several times in his typical fashion, but rewarded himself with a discreet squeeze of the Tokujou's ass.

Genma's eyebrow twitched. Then he staggered one step backwards and grabbed his head with a moan. "The hell, Raidou..."

Raidou dropped on his butt and rubbed his swollen jaw. "Tell me about it! You owe me a molar."

"Feels like you already collected the other debts. Fuck!"

A hand landed on Genma's shoulder and supported him. Shikaku. "Glad to have you back. Sorry to interrupt the reunion, but we're in the middle of a fight. Would be nice if you could do something about the Sōsu problem."

"Nothing ruthless, Shikaku." Tsunade pressed through the small crowd and rudely maneuvered the rescued man to the ground, green hands already searching and analyzing. "Water. He's dehydrated."

Now Genma realized how tired and exhausted he was. "I don't feel up to make them all explode, you know.“

"And you won't!", Tsunade hissed. "Overloading them is strictly prohibited by your doc who happens to be me!"

„Then I... could try something else.“

"And what? Kill yourself immediately after all the trouble we went through to get to you?“ Raidou hissed while absentmindedly touching the splints on his broken leg.

Genma had the decency to blush a little. 

Tsunade sighed. "You've already lost a lot of chakra. But... If all these minerals on the battlefield were charged by your chakra and you still have some sort of connection to them, you could try to take it back. You are a decent sensor, right?“

Genma frowned and nodded slowly. "This could work. Somehow. I don’t know how to draw back my chakra from a distance."

Kakashi cocked his head to the side. "Ano... I might have copied just the right seal to help you with that. A few changes here and there, and it should work. That is, if Tsunade-hime agrees?“

"I will help you with that,“ Inoichi, one of Konoha's best sensors, added and gave the Shiranui a nod that had the air of fraternization around it.

Tsunade glared at them but finally nodded. "You'll need someone to back you up with chakra or you’ll faint before you do anything, and someone to enhance your sensor abilities. We'll include that to the seal. Do it. End this war.“

And they did.

Cross-legged, sitting on a blue shining, complex seal, Genma, Kakashi and Inoichi connected their chakra and every Sōsu, whether orange or black, was discovered, deprived of its power, and crumbled to nothing but dust. 

*~*~*

Epilogue

The last piece Sōsu dissolved into ashes and disappeared from Genma's hand. Shikaku nodded contentedly and dropped a heavy hand on his shoulder. "That was the last piece we had left in Konoha. Good job, Genma."

„If not, we will have your head, Shiranui.“ Yuya smiled falsely, before leaving with his shinobi to go back to Iwa.

Shikaku scratched a spot behind his ears before he turned to Kōmyō with an unreadable expression.

"Don't give me that look, Shikaku. You know we will see each other again."

He shrugged. "Guess we will. Yoshino sends her regards. Until next time."

"Until next time. And I left some gifts at your place.“ Shikaku cleared his throat, then turned away from the gate and walked down the street.

"It's a pity you're leaving," Genma said.

Kōmyō-Sensei tilted her head. "Now, now, don't cry, little one. Be happy for my happiness: now I can eat as much cake as I want. Apropos cake: Kijitsu-Sensei, please come here." She waved the chubby, civilian man who had been waiting with the two chunin guarding the gates, put her arm around the man's shoulders and pushed him to her side. "Our shy artist here has something to tell you."

Genma gazed at the small, round man and frowned as he turned bright red.

"l, uh... Thank you for not killing me in the last battle against the Yamaguji, Genma Shiranui."

Kōmyō rewarded the nervous man with a deep kiss and a look full of love, and Genma blinked.

"You probably don't know this, Genma, but Kijitsu here was Red's star cook. He also prepared your food during your imprisonment in Yorokobi. We met when I was working undercover. From now on I'll feast my way through life and completely ruin this astral body here to get satisfaction for all the times I've denied myself a piece of real candy. Don't tell Anko, we don't have the easiest genes for that."

Genma smiled warmly. Kōmyō-Sensei had found her happiness. A sweet combination- in the truest sense.

"Where will your journey take you?"

"We'll start in Tea Country. There's no better place to enjoy music, tea and pastries."

"Then I know a wonderful biwa player in Ongakuyama, who you should definitely listen to. She's the only one there, you can't miss her.“

"I found you." Kaitou bodyflickered to Kōmyō's side, took her into his arms and greeted her-with a sensual kiss.

Genma blinked in slight confusion. Then he looked between the three adults, the furiously blushing and fidgeting cook steeling glances at the two, the beautiful elegant woman and the stunningly attractive thief... A love-triangle! And a crazy one at that. But Kōmyō has always been one of those people who knew exactly what and who they wanted and didn’t care for the rest. She just took what she wanted. Or _whom_.

"I wish you all the best."

Kaitou's arm squeezed the woman and Kōmyō pinched Genma's cheek. "Make something out of it, you hear? By the way, I have a parting gift for you. Kakashi should be here to pick you up sometime soon. He'll show you. Remember, I'm the best woman in your life. There's no one better than me."

Genma smiled. "Of course."

"Goodbye, Genma.“ 

"Goodbye, Kōmyō-Sensei.“

She kissed the corner of his mouth, skillfully avoiding the senbon, and turned to leave Konoha. The cook bowed deeply and cumbersome, and Kaitou the thief leaned in to seemingly mimic Kōmyō's gesture with a broad grin, but then he stole Genma's senbon as well as his breath with a deep and thorough kiss before following the others with a mischievous wink. 

A bit longingly the special jounin looked after them for farewell.

"Hmmmm..." A thoughtful Kakashi stood beside him so suddenly that Genma flinched in surprise. 

"Jealous?"

"No reason to."

"You sure? Everything about him is beautiful: his hair, his eyes, the new tattoos, even his dick."

"You like my dick too.“

"Of course I do. And everything attached to it.“

"See? No reason to be worried. And he didn't make you blush.“

"That's where you draw the line?"

"That means you didn't lower your guard around him. Let's go.“

"Thought you had a mission today.“

"That's right. Funny thing: you are my mission today.“

"Official payback?“

"Kōmyō-Sensei personally requested me today. Consider me your sexy escort service for the day.“

Genma smiled, twirling a new senbon between his fingers before putting it into his mouth. "Mysterious. And intriguing - yes, with you, one really wants to know what'll happen next." He let his eyes glide over jounin's body. "Guess that explains the nice kimono. Kōmyō must have gotten rid of everything in her wardrobe. Wonder what she left Yoshino... Where are we going?"

"Surprise."

"Tsk."

"This way, please."

They walked slowly, Genma slouching his hands lazily in his pockets, enjoying the weather, when Kakashi suddenly asked:

"What was your answer to Kōmyō's question?"

"What question?"

"I saw it in your memory. When she introduced herself to you and served you poisoned tea. She wanted to know why she, of all people, was doing this job in your eyes, in exchange for the antidote."

Genma smiled thoughtfully. "Yes, Kōmyō-Sensei always had very efficient teaching methods... I don't think that my answer was the only one, but it was a correct answer, and I gave it to her immediately.“

"So?"

"Because she was suited best for the job."

They walked the streets of Konoha side by side in content silence for a while, watching the hustle and bustle at the streets and shops.

"So... the worst of the turbulence is behind us. I will now pursue a career as an elite bodyguard alongside Raidou and guard aristocrats, which tragically means: my sexual needs will be harder to fulfill, mister sexy escort service...“ The Tokujou suggestively wiggled his eyebrows.

"I'm sure your libido will slow down simply because it's not of much use to you anymore."

"Not with hot stuff like you right before my eyes. And don't think I didn't notice you groping me after the breaking of the puppet seal. I still can't believe it: right before Shikaku-san’s eyes. As if he didn't notice... That almost gave me a heart attack!"

The copy nin giggled insanely. "It was in his blind spot, so..."

"Tsk. Oh my. You, the crazy elite genius, me, the handsome playboy, walking side by side down the road toward an unknown ending... If this were Icha Icha, this would be the epilogue. Some cheesy words? Something like: And they swore their eternal fidelity and chop: Happy ending."

"Shinobi and happy endings? Nah, too cheesy."

Yes, they were different. A different type, the type who didn't commit to another person in the same way they committed to what they saw their duty. Maybe that was why they felt drawn together to begin with. And then there was this deep trust and knowledge between them, that went far deeper than their earlier ...sexy arrangement. It feld solid. And reassuring. In a good way. Deciding to put the serious stuff into the past for now, Genma rose a fist into the sky, trowing himself into an overly dramatic pose. "Not alone, and probably never a happy ending, but together we sure as hell can manage at least: a _better_ ending."

"Yeah. Could go with that.“

Genma grinned lazily then stopped, realizing what that meant for the first time. "That's... nice to hear. It feels really nice to... spend time with... someone like you. You are... really good with words, you know? If you're tired of the genin teams Sandaime throws at you, I know something else: You'd make a pretty good therapist."

"Nah. That worked only because you are a sucker for every word that comes out between those awesome lips of mine."

Genma snorted. "That's true. I... In a way, you healed me. But I admit I might not be enough to heal you."

That made the jounin look at him in surprise, but he didn't comment further, so Genma went on.

"We both grew up in two great ninja wars. We are anything but normal and our moral compass is a disaster. I can't even promise that I won't accidentally hurt you again. In any way. I can't even talk to my dad, much less promise I'll survive the next mission. But... the younger generation... They grew up without war. They're different. Maybe the old can learn this from the young. I'm actually glad you left ANBU and will now have your own genin team."

Kakashi's look was sullen. "Now I feel ancient."

"Ancient enough to live out the sexy-hokage fantasies I know you have? Including the hat?"

"Not that old. And only if you consider working as an elite bodyguard for a hokage again... That could work. Would give me some inspiration what to strive for. So?"

"Tsk. Hiruzen already has his people for that. But more important: my face is too known now to continue working as an undercover agent. My libido will either kill me or wither away if I don't get enough sex and that could be a serious problem for me. Probably traumatic. So I formally ask: Hatake Kakashi: Will you be my dick? For however long you‘ll have me? And I shall be yours then, too."

Genma was expecting any reaction. A punch in the face, an embarrassed giggle, silence, snorting, everything, but... ...not tears of emotion. _Perv!_

"I do."

Genma chuckled. Then he took the other in to exclaim solemnly: "I may now kiss my dick."

"Idiot," Kakashi said, but it sounded moved.

"You like that about me."

“... Yes. Maybe. A little.“

"Quicky before we reach our mystery location? After all these days being controlled by another I thought how hot it would be if you were the one doing it. Think of it as a sexy way to overcome trauma, face your fears and stuff, but wild and uninhibited. You could use your Sharingan on me and-"

"Will you ever learn? Where are the times you were nervous and blushing towards me? ...Crazy new kink?"

"Maybe. You know so much about me, blushing now somehow makes little sense to me," Kakashi could easily detect the other's struggle to suppress said reaction, thought it adorable and knew at the same time Genma would now dive into an extreme example to divert the topic, and wasn't disappointed, "Geez, you even felt how overwhelmed I feel when you top, you're a really awesome top by the way, how can you not forgive me to lust for your hard, hot and wonderfully ridged c-"

"For once, it's not a good idea. An important visitor is waiting for you."

Genma made a face and morosely bit his senbon, though the slightly rough edge to Kakashi's voice was a deep satisfaction. _Hopefully not some Daimyo requesting a wristwatch or something the Hokage didn't want to refuse again... _

Hospital Room Number 202.

The fact that both Raidou and the Hokage stood waiting when the door was opened, rose suspicions - his last medical had gone well, and the stupid Miyota wristwatch had been stolen for the Daimyo by Hayate, Yugao and a Hyuga in the meantime. So...

Raidou, on crutches, leg in splints, snorted at Genma's wary expression. Wordlessly he pointed to the right.

And Genma should have known. Really, he should have. When Kōmyō-Sensei took things into her own hands, even if it was leaving Konoha to enjoy her own life from now on, it was with a bang.

Kakashi's awesome-escort-service hand on his shoulder was like a strong anchor, grounding him, preventing him from completely losing touch with reality.

There, with Shizune at her side, a drip in her arm and sitting on a much too large wheelchair, thin and weakened, but finally _ found_, and as beautiful as ever in his eyes,...

"Hey, brother."

"Hey. ... sister."

~*~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand that's it.
> 
> Yes, it was Nūr and not Michirou in that genjutsu in chapter 22, as some might have guessed already.  
Hope you liked the ending. A friend told me about his therapy and the slime monster thing and something about reptile brain and subconscious and I thought that was too cool, I put it into the ending. ;) Had three different versions for this and I chose the most complex one. I totally blame that on the music: Max Richter - Never goodbye. What beautiful and expressive music, full of emotion and power.  
Don’t know if it’s too long or complex, somehow the dialogues became, uhm, independent. ;) Maybe I’ll delete some passages in a few days, I don’t know yet.  
My mind came up with so many ideas and scenarios, I had to simply end the story or it would have become more and more complex... Hope the plot made sense somehow, and yes, Red was executed by Iwa - if something is still unclear and you want to know, just ask. If it's all too crazy to even try to understand: it's just fan fiction, nothing to get gray hairs over. ;)
> 
> Yay, in a few days it’s Genma’s birthday! Hope there will be more ffs out there about Genma. :D 
> 
> Craaaazy, I wrote a complete story in English... Again sorry for the grammar and spelling hell - I edited as much as I could in the last few days, weeks and months. Took me a lot of time and was a surprising amount of work, even though it might not be noticeable, ahaha.
> 
> Thank you all for reading, for the kudos, the kind words, the criticism, the comments and every sort of feedback. It feels good to read that the story interested and entertained some people out there. =D
> 
> Stay healthy!


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